Intuition
by Nika Dixon
Summary: Jennifer discovers that in Pegasus, Women's Intuition can be a dangerous thing. COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's Notes:** Okay boys and girls - here's the next installment in um... well... nothing. It's a whole new story. Started for the LJOneSweetLove challenge that has now been extended. :P The prompt that caused the plot bunny was "Blue skies, hillside, alone", and "Secrets, truth and understanding." The first prompt about the hillside launched the plot bunny, and the word "secret" set it into another crazy epic. :) I hope you enjoy! It will be updated quickly (as usual) so be prepared for a fast and furious ride. I have absolutely no idea where the characters are going to take us this time, but the whole gang is here... R/K of course... with John, Teyla, Rodney and Evan. Let the nightmares begin! - Nika_

* * *

_Bright sky. Whiteness. _

_She was walking amongst distant images, the edges distorted. _

_A hillside. Open to the right, a dark forest to the left._

_Again… the tree. Large, tall. But dead. Bare branches clawing upward, highlighted against the bright sky. Standing beneath it she looked up. It was there. A hook in one of the branches forming a near perfect circle. _

_Murmured voices and conversation. Rodney and John. Chatter. Burbles of sound. _

_Teyla. To the side. Shifting her P90._

_Ronon. To the back. Watching her. Watching them._

_A flash of red to the side. Between the trees. The signal._

_It's happening again!_

_Turning. Too slow. She can't complete the motion fast enough._

_They're not supposed to be here!_

_It's not supposed to happen!_

_Her dream self tries to change it. Tries to call it back. But she's trapped as the play unfolds. Gunfire and shouts of warning. Running forward. No way to help. No way to save him. _

_Arrows. Sharpness._

_He shoves Rodney to the ground. To safety. _

_Turns to fire._

_She's almost there. But her hands are empty._

_It's too late. _

_She's always too late._

_Every time it happens she changes nothing._

_There's too much blood._

_The arrows too deep._

_He's already dead… _

"Ronon!" Jen shrieked, launching herself upright in her bed, her fingers digging into the coverlet with such force she bent a fingernail. Reality shifted into focus with the sharp pain and she cursed, releasing the blanket.

Clasping a hand over her hammering heart, she swiped her hair away from her damp forehead and flopped back down onto the pillow. The visions from the dream still pulled to her, and she couldn't escape the horrible feeling of loss and pain that was churning through her abdomen. She kept her eyes wide open, knowing that if she closed them, she'd see him again - see the dark stain of the blood as it left his heart.

Bile climbed up into the back of her throat and she rolled up onto the side of the bed, hanging her head over the floor. Inhaling slowly, she swallowed against the burning and mentally chastised herself for being so weak.

_It's just a dream, damn it_!

With a long, slow exhale, she forced her stomach to behave. After she was sure she wasn't going to loose what was left of the little supper she'd had, she sat up and grabbed the glass of water off her nightstand.

Her fingers were shaking so violently she had to use two hands to keep from spilling the liquid all down the front of her top.

A few long, cool sips cleared the burning from the back of her throat, but not the horrible ache that still pained her abdomen. A slicing agony that made her body bend automatically to protect itself. It was too close. To real.

"God." She exhaled into the quiet air of her quarters.

It was the fifth time this week she'd had the exact same dream… the same nightmare. Over and over. Five nights. Five perfect repetitions. Five times being jolted awake, screaming his name into her empty room.

But it wasn't just the dream that bothered her so.

It was the aftermath.

The images of the blood… the arrows… the entire ambush was so crisp and clear, they remained with her even after she woke. There was no loss of memory as with regular dreams. It was unlike any dream she could ever recall having because there was absolutely no hesitation, no myst, no fuzziness as it faded into the sub-conscious. She knew if she closed her eyes she'd be able to recall it to the tiniest of details. The sky. Their positions. The dead tree.

Each and every time it was the same. Exactly the same. Right down to the calm air and the oddly bright sky. The same location, the same weird tree, the same ambush, the same result.

Ronon. Dead. A pair of arrows embedded in the center of chest.

She shuddered, splashing water over the rim of the glass and onto her hand. Setting the glass back onto the nightstand she glanced at the clock. Five in the morning. With a sigh she stood up, knowing she wasn't going back to sleep anytime soon. She'd have to be up in an hour and a half anyway. Maybe she could kill off some time doing paperwork.

The memories accompanied her as she moved. Niggling the back of her mind as she showered. Hesitated along the edges of the steam streaked mirror as she dried her hair. Floated in the shadows of her room as she dressed. Followed her into the hallway as she made her way through the empty corridors.

She couldn't kick the feeling of caged dread that had been cloaking her for the past week. The sensation of something that needed doing. Something was being forgotten. Something her subconscious was trying to point out which she couldn't quite grasp.

It was like having a fragment locked away in your mind leaving you struggling to remember it. You could _almost_ feel it, _almost_ taste it, yet it hovered against the edge of your memory, taunting you with it's evasion. She'd spent the entire week trying to pull out whatever it was that was haunting her sleep with such vengeance, but the only thing she got in return was the nightmare. Again.

The dream men who'd attacked were dressed in leathers and firs, unkempt and unshaven. They reminded her so much of the Bola Kai that each aftermath also brought out a reminder of the time she and Teyla had spent as their _guest_. She'd been terrified then. And she was terrified now.

Between the vision and what it represented, and the memory of her time on New Athos, Jen was having a hell of a time keeping her fingers from trembling. She clenched her hands into tight fists as she entered the infirmary, deep breathing to push away the memories and the uncertainty.

Stupid dream. Stupid nightmare. Stupid... _vision_.

A few years ago she'd be the first one to say she didn't believe in any of that new age stuff. Tarot and Psychics, visions and premonitions. She believed in facts, figures and science. Learning that could be tracked and documented. Scientific reasoning and medical know how. That was what she believed in.

But… a few years ago she also didn't believe in travelling to other galaxies, life-sucking space vampires, Iratus bugs or Hoffan viruses, time travel or parallel universes.

And she most _certainly_ didn't believe in premonition visions.

But now?

Well... now… now there was Pegasus.

_This_ Pegasus.

And Pegasus didn't follow the rules.

* * *

_The crest of the hillside was smoothly bare where they walked, the dry packed earth sloping down to the right. The forest was dark. Thick. Hiding it's secrets. Ahead and to the right – the tree. Tall, smooth with loss of bark. Skeletal white branches reaching to the sky. She stopped beneath. Eyes to the top. Searching, seeking, finding. The branch that formed a perfect circle._

_It was happening again…_

A touch on her arm shot Jen up out of the dream with a sharp gasp, sending her stool clattering to the side and pitching her sideways. Tensing from the dread of the dream remnants, and the sudden surprise feeling of falling, she winced in anticipation of hitting the floor. With arms flailing to catch something, her fingertips met heated skin as her body hovered an inch from the floor.

She blinked open her eyes, and stared up into Ronon's slightly amused expression.

Jen was pretty sure that this time the flush that crept up her cheeks had started all the way down at her toes.

Ronon lifted her slowly to her feet, his eyes losing their laughter in place of something more serious.

"You okay?" His brow furrowed with concern.

Jen nodded slowly, her eyes darting down to the center of his chest, fingers itching to touch. To prove to herself there was no wound, no arrow, no blood.

"Jennifer?" He asked again, lightly squeezing her upper arms, drawing her eyes back to his.

"Yes?" She managed to say, then cleared her throat against the dry croak that came out. "I… I'm sorry, what?"

Jen angled her head back, staring up, mentally assuring herself this wasn't a dream and he was fine. Three times this week she'd found herself standing outside his quarters in the dark hours of the early morning, hand poised to wake him just to prove to herself there was nothing wrong. And three times she'd turned away. But right now… with two dreams echoing off each other in such a short span of time… the emotional whirlwind was running through her mind was harder to control.

He was here. He was fine. He was alive.

_It was just a dream._

"Dream?" He repeated, eliciting a groan as she realized she spoke aloud.

She blinked then shook her head. "Yeah. Sorry." She frowned. "I… it's just… it's… nothing."

"Are you certain?" He prompted, gently releasing her arms.

Jen felt the loss of heat on her skin, but Ronon didn't back away.

She nodded again, her eyes unable to move from his. She welcomed his nearness and strength, drawing calmness and reassurance from the aura surrounding him.

Ignoring the niggling worry that she was standing _far_ too close to him in such an open place as the lab, and arguing that it didn't matter because the room was empty, and wondering why she cared who saw them, and thinking that she really, really wanted to throw her arms around him and make him promise not to get killed in an ambush next to a creepy looking dead tree…

She felt herself leaning forward when she really should have be stepping away.

Ronon didn't usually remain this close unless they were hidden away in solitude. Yet here he was… only inches from her. The entire front half of her body was decidedly warmer than normal. He dropped his head, giving her a better view of his face, which was now only inches from hers. But he didn't retreat. Not that she minded… really… but it _was_ rather distracting… the way he was staring down at her. If he kept looking at her with such intensity she was going to break her self-imposed rule about public displays of affection.

"I… um… I must have fallen asleep." She managed to stutter. "You just um… yeah." Her thoughts trailed off with her voice, leaving her lost in the sudden rush of want that coursed through her veins. If he didn't back away soon, she wasn't going to be able to stop herself from kissing him… right here… right now… in the middle of her lab. Her inner devil jumped with glee while her stoic side shouted a warning. She couldn't risk the distraction. Not if she was going to be able figure any of this out.

She inhaled sharply as the image of his chest… the blood… the arrows… invaded her thoughts.

Jen couldn't stop her gaze from dropping.

A startled squeak escaped when she realized the _reason_ Ronon was standing in such a heated proximity was because _she_ currently had both her hands fisted tightly in the material of his shirt, directly over his heart.

"Oh my… I… I'm sorry." She mumbled, her palms quickly smoothing the woven cloth back down.

He stilled her nervous reaction by wrapping his fingers around hers, holding her hands still against his chest.

"Something's wrong." He growled. "Tell me."

Her pink cheeks betrayed her again, and she cursed her automatic reaction to his presence. Scattered heart beat, lack of concentration, increased temperature… her body was not her own when he was around.

"I'm fine." Her voice certainly didn't convey assurance so she opted for Plan B - avoidance. "What time is it?"

Ronon blinked, then angled his head, slowly releasing her hands. "That's not an answer."

Jen flexed her fingers, the cool air sending a soft shiver down her spine. She rubbed her abdomen, massaging away the residual pain that still fluttered from the remnants of her nightmare.

"Jennifer." Ronon raised an eyebrow, his voice a low warning as he stood, unmoving, directly in front of her.

"Hmm?" She glanced up, her mouth quirking when her obviously empty stomach decided to announce its demand to be fed with a long sharp growl.

She laughed, breaking the spell of the nightmare. With a wave of relief she accepted the opportunity for the change in topic now offered, and smiled up at him. "I'm hungry."

When Ronon didn't react, Jen briefly wondered if he was going to insist she explain herself. Not willing to let it go, she stepped back and angled her chin.

"Did you eat yet?" She asked, trying to keep her voice light and unassuming.

He shook his head.

"Come on." She offered. "I'll buy you breakfast."

She stepped towards the door but her progress was abruptly halted when his hand clasped on her upper arm, spinning her back around. Jen barely had time to register the question forming before her voice was cut off under the pressure of his lips. The kiss was brief, but its heated pressure carried an underlying promise of more.

She exhaled a soft "whew" when he leaned away, her heart skipping a beat then resuming its staccato patter behind her ribs. "What was that for?"

"You're going to tell me what's bothering you." The command was issued softly, but with affirmation.

Jen hesistated, but couldn't hold back the truth. "I know," she responded quietly, briefly trapping her bottom lip between her teeth. "But... It's just… It's not… I can't. Not right now. Please?"

Ronon's face was masked but his eyes revealed the truth behind his actions.

He would let it go.

For now.


	2. Chapter 2

Duty called - or rather Lieutenant Marston's broken ankle called - right in the middle of breakfast. Which was the _only_ reason Jen escaped having to explain to Ronon exactly why she was acting so strangely. Not that she didn't want to tell him… but… well… okay so she didn't want to tell him.

It just seemed so silly in the daylight. Honestly. Being freaked out by a recurring dream? And yes, okay, the prospect of jumping in with a hey, _I dreamt you were dead_ speech really didn't sound like a good idea. At. All. Not a great way to catapult yourself into a new relationship. Feeling a constant desire to be near him was bad enough… she didn't want to add mental stalking to the list.

So she'd happily accepted the interruption and rushed off to the infirmary. By the time she'd finished the operation to remove pieces of shrapnel and set the bone, she'd effectively killed off the morning. After her rounds and another hacking attempt at paperwork, the day had passed quickly by.

It wasn't until her shift ended that Jen realized she'd managed to avoid him too easily. Ronon was, if anything, persistent. It was only after what she thought was a rather subtle line of questioning as Major Whalen came by to check on his injured Lieutenant did Jen discover that John and Ronon had been off-world all day visiting MX7-121.

The words _off-world_ startled her so much that Major Whalen burst into a profuse apology. For what, she didn't quite know, but he apologized anyway.

It was only _after_ the Major made hastily mumbled excuses and escaped did Jen remember MX7-121 was in the middle of a very harsh winter season.

Snow banks and blizzards. Not a leafy green summer.

And Teyla hadn't gone with them. Nor had Rodney.

This wasn't it.

The relief that washed over her forced her to sit with the stunning realization that she couldn't keep doing this. He was a soldier. A warrior. He was going to be going off world. If she reacted like a freaked-out ninny every time he stepped through the gate she was going to turn herself into a raving lunatic. Or drive him away.

She sighed.

There was only one solution.

She needed help.

* * *

It was well after midnight when John and Ronon crossed the gate into the warmth of the city.

The day had been a waste of time, their informant having little information that was of use. There was no word on Michael or his hybrid army, and no new sickness from the Hoffan virus either. The only piece of intel that may prove useful was a possible confirmation on another one of Michael's abandoned labs. The planet in question had been confirmed abandoned a few weeks back by SGA-7, but they hadn't been looking for a lab. It was worth checking out, and Sheppard planed to leave in 36 hours.

Leaving John to relay the information to Woolsey, Ronon excused himself and disappeared into the darkened city.

For most of the day Ronon ignored the slight worry about Jennifer's odd reaction this morning. But now that the trip was over, his return to the city brought back the concern. Analyzing the past couple of days, he followed the pattern back. She'd been overly jumpy, and specifically evasive for at least three days – yet he could see no reason for her sudden elusiveness. She frequently buried herself in her work, forgetting to eat, forgetting to sleep. But as far as he knew, there hadn't been any medical emergencies that would pull her in with such force.

With a brief look into the infirmary he caught Marie's attention and she shook her head quickly, smiling. Jennifer wasn't there. Turning on his heel, he continued through the corridors, his purposeful stride matching the direction of his thoughts.

He briefly wondered if it was a person, not a thing that could be causing her issue. He dismissed it as plausible, but not worrisome. If anyone _was_ bothering her, he'd see it stopped.

Without hesitation.

No, the problem lay in getting her to admit she _had_ a problem. The woman was worse than he was when it came to holding things in. But if she wouldn't talk… He smiled slowly to himself. Well - he had other useful ways of finding out information.

A flash of pink caught his eye as he rounded the corner, his attention focusing with surprise as Jennifer hurried from her quarters. At this hour of the night he immediately figured on a medical emergency.

Ronon waited for her to notice him, but instead of turning towards him – in the direction of the infirmary – she walked away.

_Strange._

He could hear her soft voice carrying through the dimly lit hallway, her hands swinging as she spoke. He followed behind her, curious as to where she was going at such a late hour. It took him a moment to realize she couldn't be talking on the radio – the conversation was too one sided. She'd barely stopped to breathe between sentences as she carried on, her arms flailing wildly as she punctuated her thoughts.

She was talking to _herself_.

It was the second flash of understanding that staggered his steps.

Pink tank top. Cotton pants. The blue ones with the small cats. Hair rumpled. Bare feet.

She was still dressed for bed.

_Why_ was she still dressed for bed?

And where exactly was she going wearing her pajamas and nothing else?

His quarters were definitely _not_ in the direction she was headed.

Not that he expected her to be going to his quarters… but well… okay yes, damn it, he did. It was a step they had not taken yet… but not for lack of want. The damn universe was conspiring against them. Thwarting them with sudden off-world trips and emergency calls. His _and_ hers.

So if not his room… then who's room was she hurrying too? She was definitely moving deeper into the crew quarters. A medical emergency would have her dressed properly. And going to the infirmary. Or issuing orders over the radio.

Not sneaking around in the middle of the night half dressed and talking to herself.

The heat of jealousy burned across his chest and he crushed it down. He trusted her. There was a reasonable explanation.

It was only when she reached the lower level of the crew area that his mind relaxed.

For a brief moment, at least.

Ronon watched her stop outside Teyla's door, her hurried destination revealed. He briefly panicked that something might be wrong with Torren… then convinced himself that if there was, she wouldn't be standing in the middle of the hallway, her body stiff with uncertainty.

Her hand hovered in the air above the door control. Then she dropped her arm and took two steps back, turning slightly. She stopped, returned to the door, raised her hand, lowered it, then turned away, taking several steps before stopping again, and staring over her shoulder at the door.

Then she looked down at her watch.

With a harshly whispered curse at the ceiling, she clenched her fists, and circled back around. He slid into the shadows, listening to her mumbling something about _stupidity_ and _middle of the night_ as she passed. He stayed behind her as she made her way back through the corridors to her quarters, where she disappeared inside.

He paused in the hallway, his hand raised over the door control. When he dropped his arm and stepped back, realization of his mimicking indecisiveness couldn't stop the grin.

She was becoming a bad influence.

He sobered as he made his way back towards his own room.

In the morning he was going to sit his pretty little doctor down and have a conversation.


	3. Chapter 3

The morning hour was early as Ronon strode down the hallway, stepping in beside John when the Colonel exited one of the many intersecting corridors. John nodded, swinging a pair of bantos rods in time with a whistled tune.

"Ready to get your ass kicked?" John twirled the wooden rod and whapped Ronon across the chest.

Ronon grinned and raised an eyebrow. "What's the bet?"

John tisked and shook his head. "Didn't you hear? Betting on fights is now illegal."

"Says who?"

"Woolsey."

"Who says it's a fight?"

John raised his eyebrows and nodded appreciatively. "Good point. Technically… we're practicing. Could even be considered a form of exercise."

"Any rules against betting on exercise?"

"Not a one." John grinned. "See? I knew I kept you around for a reason."

"Yeah." Ronon hopped ahead and turned back, swinging a closed fist at John's head. "Cause I can kick your ass." He grinned when the Colonel dodged to the side.

"You're getting slow in your old age." John taunted, planting a sharp jab into Ronon's side with his elbow.

"Old?" Ronon countered, snapping forward to clasp John in a headlock. "McKay moves faster than you do."

John ducked and spun to the side, aiming for the back of Ronon's thigh with a bantos rod. Ronon moved his leg, narrowly avoiding the swing. The doorway of the gym opened on the right and he grabbed for Sheppard, blocking another swing and hip checking the Colonel into the door frame. John countered with a spin and a elbow to the torso. Tussling in the doorway, each man grappled for a stronger hold against the other.

A loud, sharp, shushing noise brought them both to an abrupt halt.

With a frown and a look of curiosity, John shrugged, and released his hold on Ronon's shirt, as the Satedan straightened and let go of John's upper arm.

Stepping into the gym, they were greeted with a pointed warning glare from Teyla, and her outstretched arm. Palm out she halted them on the edge of the room. After a furious shake of her head and a pronounced frown, she turned back to the person seated cross-legged on the floor in front of her.

Jennifer. Seated in a meditative pose facing Teyla.

Ronon stopped in the doorway, refusing to leave. He glanced at John, who raised an eyebrow and shrugged. The Colonel crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back, obviously not willing to disappear just yet either.

As far as Ronon knew, Jennifer had never expressed any interest in meditating. He immediately thought of her trip to Teyla's door last night, and wondered at the connection.

In silence they watched as Teyla whispered something encouraging to Jennifer, who nodded slowly, her eyes closed, face relaxed as though deeply asleep.

Positioned so close their knees touched, Teyla continued to speak slowly, her words low and smooth. After a moment, she leaned closer. When Jennifer began to speak, her voice was so quiet Ronon strained to hear the words, catching only the odd phrase or snippet. Something about a hillside and a dead tree. But as she continued to speak, he noted she was becoming more agitated. Her hands were now clenched into fists, her spine stiff, and her breathing was no longer calm and meditative.

He took a step forward but at Teyla's warning glance, Sheppard's arm held him back.

Jennifer inhaled sharply, her arm snaking out, grabbing for something unseen. Teyla reached for her, issuing words of comfort, but the touch sent her into an agitated struggle against Teyla's arms.

Jennifer's eyes snapped open, wide and unseeing, and her lips parted with a hiss. "Not again."

Then her eyes rolled back and she slumped to the floor.

* * *

It was an odd sensation, walking up to sounds that weren't right for the quiet of her room. Hushed voices… arguing… okay not so hushed… as her ears filled with the sounds of the room. Loud. They were loudly arguing. Who was arguing and why were they in her room?

Parts of the dream hesitated along the edges of her subconscious and she was momentarily happy that it wasn't as violent as she remembered this time.

But it _was_ uncomfortable.

Ronon called her name, and she felt the warmth of his hand along her cheek.

Hmmm… she thought sleepily. Now that's something worth waking up too.

But who's yelling?

She forced her eyes open, squinting up into the trio of faces that surrounded her. Concerned. Worried. Why was everyone so upset? And why was she… on the floor?

The memory of her meditation session with Teyla slipped back into her conscious. Right. She'd asked Teyla for help. Teyla was going to teach her about meditation. But why were John and Ronon here?

Ronon brushed the hair away from her forehead. "Welcome back." He growled, his eyes searching hers.

"What happened?" She asked, her eyes moving from Ronon, to John, to Teyla, each of whom were kneeling on the floor beside her.

"You… fainted." Teyla said softly, her face etched with concern.

"I… what?" Jen blinked, looking for signs of a joke in the harried expressions of the two men. Neither one appeared to be amused.

She moved to sit up, and was aided by all three.

"Easy." John ordered, placing a firm hand on her shoulder.

"I'm fine…" Jen shook her head. "What did… Did I fall asleep or something?"

"Or something." John muttered.

"No." Teyla shook her head. "You did not-"

"You passed out." John interrupted, releasing his hold on her arm and rocking back onto his heels. "Maybe we should get you to the infirmary."

"No." Jen exhaled with self-disgust, the feeling of Ronon's hand supporting her lower back only slightly distracting. "I couldn't have… I mean… I… did?"

Three heads nodded in unison.

"Well." Jen frowned, then looked down at her hands which were lying in her lap, the back up at Teyla. "That's… embarrassing. Sorry."

"What were you two doing?" John asked, his eyes on Teyla.

Jen looked worriedly at Teyla, hoping the Athosian would remember her request not to say anything.

"I was… instructing Jennifer on a method of… meditation." Teyla answered.

Jen thanked her with a look for not revealing her secret. She'd found Teyla quite early this morning, and after a very stuttered explanation, had elicited Teyla's sworn secrecy, and aid. Teyla had suggested meditation as a way of potentially finding a hidden meaning inside the dreams, insisting that dreams were often misinterpreted messages. But then the Athosian had immediately dragged Jen to the gym, insisting they deal with it while it was still fresh in Jen's mind.

Teyla's urgency certainly didn't quell the ball of apprehension that seemed to have taken up residence in Jen's abdomen. If Teyla thought there was something to the dreams… She shuddered.

Ronon grunted, and Jen turned towards him.

"What?" She frowned at his stern expression.

"Does this have anything to do with yesterday?" He asked sharply.

"What happened yesterday?" John said, surprised, and slightly miffed that something was going on he didn't know about.

"Nothing." Jen said quickly. "Nothing important."

"Doc…" John raised an eyebrow in warning.

"Oh not you too." Jen mumbled, pulling her legs under her and moving to stand. With Ronon holding her left arm, and John on her right, she was forced to move slowly.

"I'm fine." She looked between the two men, who seemed rather reluctant to believe her. "Honest. I don't know what happened. Maybe this meditating stuff doesn't agree with me."

They released her arms, and she rolled her eyes to see both men were braced incase she should pass out on them. She shook her head with a sigh. _Can't even meditate without something going wrong, _she thought. Typical.

"I believe you have been taking lessons from Ronon." Teyla said with a tension breaking smile. "Although fainting is much more dramatic than falling asleep."

"I did not faint." Jen mumbled, her face flushing. She glanced quickly at her watch. "I'd better get going. I'm going to be late for my shift." She turned to Teyla and nodded. "Thanks for your… for trying to teach me."

Jen ignored the dual frowns from John and Ronon, letting Teyla guide her slowly forward.

"Come." Teyla warned the two men off with a shake of her head before turning to Jen with a smile. "I will walk with you."

"I'm fine. Really." Jen felt like a broken record.

"I know." Teyla nodded, then angled her head back towards the two men. "But I believe someone _else_ would like to use the gym."

Once they disappeared into the hallway, John turned to Ronon.

"What the hell was that all about?" He bent to pick up the bantos rods he'd dropped when Jennifer fainted.

"Dammed if I know." Ronon muttered, staring at the empty doorway. "But I'm sure as hell going to find out."

"Good." John nodded, tossing one of the rods to Ronon, and immediately taking a swing at Ronon's head with the other. "And if it's important…"

"You'll be the first to know." Ronon nodded, countering John's attack with one of his own.

"Now…" John ducked a headshot. "What's the bet again?"


	4. Chapter 4

She was getting better at hiding, he'd give her that.

But she wasn't good enough.

Ronon wasn't sure exactly when Jennifer had started to choose her quiet spots further and further from the main tower. Before, he would usually find her sitting in solitude on the upper balcony on the north east corner of the crew tower, but lately, she'd been moving further and further away from the center of the city. And further away from anyone looking. It had happened gradually over the past few weeks and had somehow developed into a game. A challenge of sorts. One he accepted without hesitation.

She'd disappear into the city to escape into her thoughts, or sometimes just to get away from the harried insanity that occasionally surrounded the infirmary. Usually at the end of a particularly grueling shift, or when she'd worked herself so hard she couldn't concentrate.

She'd wander out onto the piers, and he'd go get her.

It was never a question of _try_. He always found her – and always outside. There was something she found comforting in the wind and the waves.

He couldn't argue with it – being indoors stifled him enough as it was, and he passed most of his time outside or off-world. He couldn't imagine spending every waking hour locked inside a windowless section of the city like the infirmary.

He might have questioned her need to be alone, if she wasn't so happy to see him whenever he arrived. And of course, the feeling of her in his arms when she would quickly burrow herself against him. Definitely a prize worthy of the chase.

Except today, the chase required a different outcome.

He'd left her to her shift this afternoon, deciding to wait until they were alone, before cornering her into talking. Despite his repeated attempts to trick Teyla into revealing Jennifer's secret, the Athosian simply redirected him back to Jennifer herself. He would have to go directly to the source.

As he crossed a portion of the west pier, the dark hues of the sunset silhouetted her frame where she stood in silence, staring out across the ocean.

Pausing a few feet behind her, he was content to simply watch, and for some reason, he didn't want to startle her this time. There was something incredibly enchanting about the way she reacted - always with laughter, never with direct fear - when he snuck up on her, but today, tonight, he didn't want her to feel any fear. Even if it was in jest.

"I guess I owe you an explanation, huh." She said clearly, her back still turned.

It startled him.

Ronon knew damn well he hadn't made a sound when he'd approached. He'd snuck up on trained soldiers with less effort. How the hell did she know he was there?

He shook his head in amusement, then pushed his mirth down and out of the way. This wasn't the time to be beguiled. He was here for answers, and wasn't leaving until he got them.

Jen turned towards him, her heart happy to know he'd come to see her. She knew he had a specific reason this time, it wasn't just because she'd turned her spare time into some kind of bizarre stalking ritual, but it didn't matter. Not really. He was here.

The expression on his face was stony, and she wondered briefly if he was angry with her for not confiding in him. It was a reasonable reaction, and she couldn't fault him if he was.

She stepped forward, away from the side of the pier, stopping when she reached the edge of his personal space.

Relationships were definitely not her forte. She had little knowledge and even less experience. Keeping secrets was definitely not something people did who cared about each other. She hadn't been trying to make it a secret, it was just that there was something decidedly wrong about what she'd been dreaming about that she needed to put it straight in her own mind before trying to convince anyone else. Especially him. And after her refusal to believe what he'd tried to tell her about the Shrine, she couldn't blame him if he wouldn't believe that she – Miss I-need-facts – was having what she was beginning to think was a premonition. It was too much for her analytical mind to contemplate much less put into words.

She couldn't _not_ tell him.

But what if she did?

The long, soft sigh escaped and she shook her head.

"Ronon, I… I'm sorry." She said softly, her eyes darting down to his chest then quickly raising back up to his face. His expression remained unchanged, and she threaded her arms over her torso, trying to keep herself in one piece.

_Oh, this was so not going to be easy._

When he stepped closer, she couldn't stop herself. Her arms untwined and she collided with his chest, her hands wrapping so tightly around his torso she wasn't going to give him the chance to get away.

His arms crossed her back and she leaned into him, her fingers clustered against his lower back, her palms wide, stealing his strength.

"I can't help if you don't tell me what's wrong." His voice rumbled in his chest.

"I know." She replied, closing her eyes, the feeling of his warmth and presence clearing away the confusion.

"You talked to Teyla."

Jen nodded, understanding it was more of a question than a statement. "I needed her help."

"But not mine."

She raised her head, tilting her neck back to look up into his face. The position slightly awkward because she refused to release him. If anything, she tightened her grip, willing him not to back away. To give her a chance to explain. She could see the guarded look in his eyes and knew she'd made a grave mistake by _not_ talking to him first. She should have. But she didn't… she couldn't… it was hard enough to think about him… but to bring it to words?

_Oh hell._

Her explanation tumbled out in a mix of apologies and explanation.

"I'm so sorry. I wanted to… I mean I tried to… like… three times! It was just in the middle of the night and I didn't want to wake you up. And it was silly, really. I mean, it's just a dream, right? There shouldn't be anything to worry about and it's not like I believe in this kind of thing. I mean, you know me… I need facts. All this creepy mind stuff is way beyond my comfort level and-"

"Jennifer."

"- I don't know. I mean, I know. I'm sorry. I _should_ have talked to you first. But after what happened with Rodney and the Shrine and… well, I just didn't want you to think I was making it up, you know? Until I had more information. I mean I don't really believe there's anything to it… but Teyla said sometimes they _can_ mean something else and-"

"Jennifer!" He growled.

She clamped her mouth shut.

"Relax." He softened his voice, tucking her head back under his chin. "Now. Take a deep breath… and just tell me what's wrong."

Jen hesitated a moment, her mind spinning with where to start. Taking a deep breath, she shook her head and closed her eyes.

"I keep having the same dream." She finally admitted. "Over and over again."

She felt his shrug and raised her head, understanding his unvoice statement. _So what?_

"No, I mean it's the same dream. _Exactly_ the same. Every detail. Every part. Every little tiny piece is the _exact_ _same_."

"A _bad_ dream?"

She raised her eyebrows, and closed her eyes for a moment, pushing back the visual reminders. When she opened them again, she could see the concern etched across his features.

"You have no idea." She whispered, a slight tremble shifting down her spine, prompting him to tighten his grip. "If I close my eyes I can see it… piece by piece… I can hear everything, see everything. It's like… watching the same scene from a movie, over and over again. And it won't go away."

"What happens?"

"It's…" She shook her head trying to find the words to describe the story. "It's… an… an ambush, I guess."

"And who's getting ambushed."

"You." She buried her head against his chest. "You. John. Rodney. Teyla. At least that's all I keep seeing. If it was just a dream I'd let it go… but it's so… so _real_. So accurate. So damn vivid. It's making me crazy."

"Can you tell me about it?"

She nodded slowly, then groaned when her earpiece crackled to life.

"Dr. Keller this is Colonel Sheppard."

With a exasperated sigh she raised her head and rolled her eyes up at Ronon. Typical. She'd finally get her muttled head out of the proverbial sand and wouldn't you know it… she was being interrupted. Stupid radios.

She reluctantly released her death grip around Ronon's waist and raised her hand to her ear.

"Go ahead, Colonel."

Ronon raised an eyebrow and Jen shrugged, returning her arm to its previous position around Ronon's waist. She grinned apologetically up at him.

"Mr. Woolsey requests the pleasure of your company in his boardroom." John's voice was only slightly sarcastic, and carrying the barest hint of annoyance.

"Okay…" Jen drew the word out. "Is this a medical emergency? I'm a little… far away at the moment."

"No." John answered. "No medical emergency. We're in briefing and could use your expertise."

"Oh." She frowned. "All right. I'm on my way."

"Understood." John answered. "Bring Ronon with you. Sheppard out."

Jen felt her face flushing a dozen shades of red to think that John knew exactly where she was… and who was with her. He didn't even bother to wait to see if Ronon actually _was_ with her. She stared up into Ronon's amused expression.

"What?" He smirked.

"Woolsey's called a briefing. Apparently I'm to bring you with me." She buried her heated face into Ronon's chest, which was rumbling with laughter.

"Come on." He kissed the top of her head then released her slowly. "Duty calls."

"Yeah." She mumbled, accepting his hand as he pulled her forward. "More like duty interrupts." Then she sighed. "You know I swear the fates are conspiring against us."

"Conspiring?"

"I can't even get you alone for five minutes without us being interrupted, and usually by Mr. Woolsey! All we were doing this time was _talking_." She laughed to herself. So far their relationship had been as chaste as an After School Special. They'd barely ever had time to do more than kiss before something or someone immediately interrupted them, driving them apart, and it was beginning to drive her crazy. Not that she minded the kissing… nope… certainly not… but being in close proximity to Ronon made her want a hell of a lot more than just his kisses.

A hell of a lot more.

She giggled, her face flushing at the thought that popped into her head. "Lord knows what would happen if we ever tried to get naked…"

Ronon growled and spun her towards him, his fingers diving through her loosely falling hair. Twisting it around his knuckles he tipped her head back and covered her mouth with his. Jen melted into his kiss, her fingers sliding up under his jaw. With one hand wrapped in her hair, and the other pressed against the small of her back, Jen was unable to move, and unwilling to even entertain the idea of being anywhere else. His tongue parted her lips and she pushed back with her own. She wasn't sure what the hell prompted him to plunder and didn't care. His mouth was hot and stole all the breath she willingly gave. Her body reacted with a fury and she raised herself higher, pressing closer against him.

They finally parted for oxygen, her body loose and her mind addled, her weight fully supported by the arm around her waist. He uncoiled her hair, smoothing it down her back. She could see the heated fire in his eyes and felt an answering tug in her lower abdomen.

He released her, hesitating while she found her footing, then slowly stepped back.

Jen fought against her wobbly knees, her breath coming in short gasps.

"What was that for?" She croaked, swallowing hard.

"You said naked." He answered.

"I… Oh. Okay. Well. Remind me to be more careful where I say that."

A slow sexy smile teased across his mouth and tumbled her insides.

"Wise suggestion." He growled.

Jen blinked, unable to get her mind, or body, to think about anything else other than the concept of _naked_, and _Ronon_.

He reached for her hand. "Come on. Woolsey awaits."

"Right." Jen answered, threading her fingers through his and letting him hurry them across the pier towards the base of the tower. "Remind me to kick his ass later."

Ronon snorted. "Me first."


	5. Chapter 5

"Dr. Keller. Mr. Dex." Woolsey greeted formerly as Jen and Ronon entered the boardroom. "Thank you for joining us."

Jen hurried over to the closest side of the table, sliding into a chair next to John. Rodney and Teyla sat side by side on the far side of the table, a space of two chairs separating them from the head of the table, and Mr. Woolsey.

John smirked when Ronon immediately chose the chair on the other side of Jen. She rolled her eyes at the Colonel's saucy look, and turned towards Richard expectantly.

"Very well." Richard nodded at Jen and Ronon. "We've been discussing the possibility of sending a team to M34…" he looked down at his notes. "Two twelve. We have it on good authority…"

Ronon snorted, making Woolsey frown.

"that one of Michal's abandoned labs may be present on the planet. The discussion has been opened as to the merits of investigating further." Richard continued. "And while I am of the opinion that abandoned labs are not a mission priority, Dr. McKay feels…"

"_Dr. McKay_ feels that anything to do with Michael is worth checking out." Rodney finished on his own behalf, receiving agreeing nods from Teyla and John. "The man is a menace and needs to be stopped."

"Michael has taken up far to much of our resources already…" Woolsey angled his head.

"Michael has killed thousands, possibly millions of people." Teyla leaned forward. "It is our duty to do everything we can to protect the people of this galaxy."

"And it is _my_ duty to protect the people of this expedition." Woolsey countered turning to John. "The last abandoned lab you wanted to explore killed one of our people, and nearly killed five more – including you."

"It is a risk we're willing to take." John leaned forward. "It enabled us to see what else Michael's been up to. He's not only trying to poison the people of the galaxy _and_ create an army of hybrids, he's experimenting on people. Real, live people. Human beings. These weren't just hybrids, they were-"

"Zombies." Rodney muttered, his head buried in his tablet.

John ignored him. "Monsters. And we can't just let him keep going. The longer we leave him alone, the greater the chance that he's going to succeed. We need all the information we can get our hands on. If there's any chance this lab is for real, we can't just leave it intact. It needs to be destroyed."

"And if it's… occupied?" Richard asked pointedly.

"All the more reason to destroy it." Ronon glanced from John to Richard.

"Dr. Keller." Richard turned towards Jen. "You've had a chance to study the information Dr. Beckett retrieved a few weeks ago. What are your thoughts?"

All eyes turned to Jen. She took a deep breath before speaking.

"I'd have to agree with Dr. McKay and Colonel Sheppard." Jen looked directly at Richard. "If there's a chance Michael has left _any_ of his research behind, we need to get our hands on it." She glanced quickly from John to Ronon. "_Before_ we blow it up."

Rodney snickered.

"What?" John made a face.

The scientist just pursed his lips and waved his hand dismissively.

Richard studied Jennifer, weighing the consequences and outcomes.

After a few moments of tense silence he nodded. "Very well."

Shuffling of feet sounded as chairs were immediately scraped back and everyone began talking at once.

"Ahem!" Richard cleared his throat, freezing the group in place.

John rolled his eyes at Rodney before turning slowly around to face Woolsey.

"Twelve hours." Richard said firmly. "If we cannot locate the lab within that time frame, we'll consider the matter closed."

"Deal." John said, glancing at Rodney, who shrugged.

"And…" Richard said quickly, glancing pointedly at Jen. "Dr. Keller will accompany you to the planet to ensure the data is medically viable."

Jen took a quick breath. _Off world? Oh crap._

"Doc?" John looked at her questioningly.

"That's fine." Jen nodded to Richard, feeling anything _but_ fine. Off-world equaled bad.

Everyone moved to leave, pausing once again as Richard called out. "And, Colonel?"

Everyone turned.

"This time I expect you _all_ back in one piece."

John nodded. "Understood."

* * *

_Turning away from the bare barked trunk, a flash of red caught her eye. It was time. She ran forward, her hand outstretched. Again – Ronon throws Rodney to the ground. Again – Teyla jumps from behind her, her P90 echoing through the silence. Again – John spins to spray bullets into the trees. Again – the monsters keep coming. Arrows launched. She sees them now. The dirty men with the filthy clothes. Two attackers behind the fallen log. Two men. Two arrows. She takes aim… but there's no gun. She has no weapon. Her empty hand does nothing but point – silent and still. Again. She's too late. There's too much blood. There's nothing she can do._

Jen splashed cold water on her face, feeling shock at the chill against her heated skin. Lifting her head, she stared at her reflection in the mirror. The wild look to her eyes and pale tone to her skin looked even worse in the bright overheads. Shutting the lights off, she grabbed for a towel and patted the water off her face.

Clutching the soft terry material, she returned to bed, seating herself on the side of the mattress. The digital numbers on her clock showed just after six in the morning, leaving her two hours until she had to be in the gate room.

With a deep sigh, she rolled her neck and shoulders, replaying the end of her dream. After shrieking herself awake, she'd realized the cramp in her abdomen had been reflected in her right hand. Examining the skin of her palm in the bathroom had revealed bite marks from her nails. She'd been squeezing her hand so hard she'd left tracks.

Her right hand.

In the dream, she'd pointed, but hadn't shot.

She hadn't shot, because she didn't carry a gun.

She didn't carry a gun, because it went against her personal beliefs.

But if her personal beliefs got him killed…

Then they weren't worth believing in.

She stared at the clock as the numbers blinked from six-ten to six-eleven.

Teyla believed the dreams could be a sign of something bigger. Ronon believed they were just dreams.

But what did _she_ believe? Did she believe it was a dream? A message? A sign?

A premonition?

Could she take the chance that it _wasn't_?

By the time the clock reflected six twenty-two Jen shook her head, and shoved herself up off the bed. Dressing quickly, she left her quarters, her steps direct, the decision still bouncing between ignoring and listening. Leading with her heart, she moved deeper into the city.

.

.

.

_A/N This chapter is for Flowerfairy30 - who needs a break from the insanity! :) Sorry it took so long my dear. The last two days have been crazy!_


	6. Chapter 6

"You want a _what_?" Evan frowned sharply as he watched the expedition's CMO nervously twisting her fingers together.

"You heard me." Jen replied, her voice nervously quiet, the request hanging in the air with a thickness he felt straight down his spine.

If it had been _anyone_ else, Evan wouldn't have given the demand a second thought.

But having Jennifer Keller ask for a weapon? Well that pretty much cleared his ears out of any blockage that might have subconsciously been there and stood every nerve ending in his body to full attention.

Something was definitely wrong.

"A handgun." He repeated, his eyes doing a very quick, very thorough, visual assessment of the woman standing in front of him. Something decidedly close to caged anger flared in his chest as his mind listed any number of reasons Jennifer might need a gun – and none of them were good.

She looked fine – no visible injuries, no signs of any mistreatment. Slightly tired, and nervously chewing her lower lip.

He knew she was going off world with the Colonels' team in just over an hour, but she'd gone off world before. Many times now, in fact, and never before had she deemed it necessary to ask for a weapon.

Oh he knew she'd had the training, and she knew how to use an M9, but _why_ would she want one? Why now? What changed? And why was she _nervous_?

With two quick strides he reached the control panel on the wall. A rapid swipe of his hand closed the door, leaving them alone, and uninterrupted inside his small office.

He turned, his back to the door, blocking her in against his desk. With his stance wide he shoved the sleeves of his dark green sweater further up his forearms then folded his arms across his chest.

"Evan-" She began.

"Out with it." He interrupted.

"Evan…"

"Jen…" He mimicked. "You're not leaving this room until you talk to me."

"It's nothing. I just… figured it was probably time I should start… you know… just incase… All off-world teams have the option…"

"No." He shook his head. "Not good enough. I want the truth."

She chewed the inside of her cheek, her eyes moving to a spot on the wall behind his head. Evan knew she was arguing internally against something, and whatever it was, was bad enough that she'd come to him for a weapon.

"Jen." He tried again, lowering his arms and taking a step closer. "You know you can trust me. With whatever it is. Whatever you need. Let me help."

He watched as a flash of worry buried itself behind a flush of embarrassment when her cheeks pinked. "It's… stupid." She finally exhaled, reaching up to scratch nervously behind her ear.

He shook his head, concern warring with tact and losing. "If someone's hurt you…"

"No." She shook her head wide eyed.

"Someone threaten you?"

"No." She snorted softly. "What's with you guys? Ronon asked me the same question."

"And did you ask him for a weapon?"

She flushed. "No."

"Then it's a valid question."

She sighed. "No… No one's threatening me."

"Then what's going on? Since when do you need to be carrying a gun?" He paused, then tried to take the edge out of his voice. "Talk to me."

She sighed softly, and with a slow shake of her head, stepped back and leaned against the edge of his desk. When she closed her eyes and rubbed her temples, he noted the exhaustion that she'd been trying so hard to hide. With her shoulders slumped, she looked up, and a wave of worry washed over him. Something was definitely wrong.

"Do you… do you believe in intuition?" She finally asked.

"Intuition." He repeated, looking for clarification.

"Yeah." She nodded, pushing herself back until she was sitting on his desk, her feet dangling off the side. "Intuition. Instinct. You know… like… a gut reaction. Do you ever get a… a feeling that something's not… right? That you should do one thing when everyone else says do the other?"

Evan's brow furrowed. He turned, and leaned against the edge of the desk beside her. In this galaxy, with intelligence reports based on an ancient database, contacts who were always shady, and equipment even the science team didn't always understand, sometimes all you _had_ was your gut. A sense that something was wrong. That something was coming. The hair on the back of your neck standing on end. A sudden urge to turn left, not right. A feeling of dread right before stepping through a doorway.

It was something you could never explain.

But it was something that had saved his six more times than he could count.

Did he believe in listening to his gut?

_Hell yeah._

And right now, his gut was telling him there was something bad going down, and the resident CMO was going to be right in the middle of it.

"Yeah." He answered with a nod, turning towards her. "I do."

She chewed her lower lip and looked away.

"You have a bad feeling about something?" He prompted.

"That's an understatement." She muttered.

"What is it?"

"I'm not sure." She answered, the truth of the statement clearly evident in her features. Then she pursed her lips and shrugged. "I just know I need to do something."

"Do something about what?" A little warning bell was going off in the back of his mind.

"I don't know _that_ either." She shrugged. Then with a quick shake of her head she slid off the desk and turned to face him. "Evan, I'm sorry. I… I shouldn't have bothered you with this. It was a dumb. Just forget I asked, okay? I don't know what I was thinking. Well I do know… I wasn't thinking. I just can't shake this feeling and it's making me crazy. I'm sorry I bothered you."

She moved to leave but he grabbed for her upper arm, turning her back around to face him, her worry eating at him.

"Jen, wait." He said softly.

She turned to face him, a wary expression hidden beneath the embarrassment.

"Look." He started. "Out here, sometimes all you have is your gut. Ask any of the off-world teams and they'll tell you the same thing. Ignoring your instincts can get someone killed."

His hands shot out, wrapping around her upper arms when she blanched, the color leaving her face almost immediately.

"Whoa! Hey." He exclaimed, suddenly fearing she was about to faint. "Maybe you should sit down."

"No." She shook her head. "I'm okay. Really."

She nodded, and tried to smile, but he wasn't buying it. No _way_ was he buying the whole forget-it-I'm-fine routine. She was definitely fighting something and he was sure as hell going to find out what. With… or without her help. He waited for the color to return to her face before he released his supporting hold on her arms.

"Okay." He nodded.

"Okay?" Her brow furrowed.

He released her arm slowly, and stepped back, backing towards his desk. Without taking his eyes off her, he picked up a clipboard, and unhooked the pen clipped across the top.

"Fill this out."

Her fingers hesitated in the air before accepting the pen and the paper.

"Holster?" He asked quickly.

She shook her head. "I… I don't think so, no."

"Wait here." He ordered.

When he returned a few minutes later, she was still standing in the same spot, the clipboard and pen clutched tightly in her hands. He held out a standard issue M9 and extra clips.

Setting the clipboard and pen onto his desk, she turned back around to face him. Fingers outstretched she accepted the gun. The expression on her face while she stared at the Beretta made him immediately want to take it back.

"Doc…" He said briskly. "Look. Just tell me what's going on. Let me help."

She looked up, clutching the gun and the clips tightly in her fist. "Evan. There's nothing. Really. I'm fine. I just… I'll um… return it when I get back? Is that how it works?"

"Unless you want a more permanent option."

"No." She said quickly. "I mean… I don't… I don't think so."

"Then yes. Return it to me when you're done."

She glanced down at the gun, then back up again, her bottom lip caught between her teeth. "Right." She nodded, blinked, and her expression cleared. "Okay."

She moved towards the door, and he had to hold himself to keep from stopping her.

"Evan…" She paused in the doorway and turned. "Thank you."

He didn't answer, his mind too busy calculating as she disappeared.

_Don't thank me yet, Doc. _

_This is not over. _

_._

_._

_._

_._

_A/N: Big thanks to "Super-girl-straight-from-hell" for pointing out my error with the SGA handguns. Hopefully I have the terminology correct now! Next stop - the planet! :)_


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N** -- This one's for Cindy Ryan, who's being attacked by the plot bunnies. :) When we last left our hero's ... er... heroine... our nightmare-addled Jen had just asked Evan for a gun, only two hours before she's going off-world. And now... off to the planet! _

* * *

"Major…" Jen called, her hesitant tone more question than a greeting, as she stepped away from Teyla and Rodney and moved towards him.

Meeting her halfway across the floor of the gate room, Evan angled his head. "Mornin' Doc."

"You're… you are… coming with us?" She frowned slightly, glancing quickly at the three members of his team who spread out behind him. Evan could see the wariness in her expression, but it was hiding something else. Something he'd noticed earlier this morning but couldn't quite put a name to it. It wasn't… fear… but it was close - almost an aura of skittishness. Even in the simple act of standing beside her could he feel it starting to trickle through his bones.

_Damn right we're coming with you,_ he wanted to say, but he settled on a simple, "Yep."

She stared at him for a moment, and he could almost hear the proverbial gears turning. She nervously shifted her knapsack against her shoulders, her white-knuckled fingers clutching the straps. She hadn't requested a holster, so the M9 had to be packed somewhere, and the most likely location was the bag she carried across her back.

"You didn't…" She trailed off, shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

Even knew exactly what she was asking. Had he mentioned to anyone she'd asked for weapon? He'd thought about it. Several times in fact, and several different ways, and was still arguing the _how_ internally. She had every right to the weapon, and it was theoretically no one else's business, since by record it was standard issue, and all members were expected to carry one. Her abnormal behavior was in _not_ carrying one on a regular basis.

So technically, there was no need to discuss it with anyone.

_Technically_.

He shook his head. "No."

_Not yet, anyway. _

But the plan was there.

She nodded. "Okay. Okay, ah… good." She started to turn away, but something caught her attention and she turned slowly back around.

He watched her, expecting a question, perhaps an argument, but got neither. Instead, with a slow rise, she seemed to unfold from the tension in her shoulders as she moved closer, her expression brightening.

"Major…" She tilted her head, and eyed him thoughtfully. Her lips pursed while she thought something through.

He waited, eyebrows raised.

"You're… coming with us." She repeated slowly, her head nodding in time to an inner rhythm, as though musically considering the weight of the words before she spoke them.

When he nodded, the edges of a smile quirked the corners of her mouth. "So…" She continued, the smile now reaching her eyes. "You'll be… on the planet with them… I mean with us… Well… that's… that's okay then."

When the smile widened into a brightness that left him only a little bit breathless, he thought she was either going to hug him, kiss him, or get him killed – if the look Ronon was giving him was any indication.

"Perfect. That's… perfect. Good. Great!" She was almost laughing now, her entire demeanor completely shifted from the woman who'd crossed the gate room only seconds earlier.

When she stepped back, a noticeable hop in her step, he had to concentrate to keep the wide eyed look off his face.

Two hours ago she'd been nervous and upset and wanting a firearm… and now she was overly glad and… _bouncy_? He knew he'd never fully understand women but this particular one was not only throwing the handbook out the window, she was shredding it in the process.

He shook his head in utter amazement.

What the hell just happened?

"_Someone_ is sure happy to hear you're going off-world." Edison smirked suggestively, lowering his head and pretending to adjust a strap on his TAC vest.

Evan turned his head to glare at his Lieutenant. "You looking to get yourself killed?"

"That a challenge?" Edison finished faking his adjustment and looked up, fighting to hide his amusement.

"Not from me it isn't." Evan raised an eyebrow, and angled his head towards the others who now situated in front of the dialing gate.

Edison followed the suggested line of sight and glanced over at the Doctor and the members of SGA1.

Evan almost laughed out loud when the Lieutenant's mind finally made the connection between the smiling Doctor, and the large man standing directly beside her. Only through years of practiced tolerance - and having to keep a straight face during some of the Colonel's debriefings - kept the Major from splitting in half in front of the gathered group.

Ronon was looming protectively over Jennifer like a wingless gargoyle. She was standing almost in his shadow, and judging by her relaxed stance, she was either unaware of his proximity, or unconcerned by the invasion of personal space.

Evan agreed with the latter, and apparently so did Edison.

Edison's head snapped back towards Evan, his skin a few shades lighter than it was moments before. "Oh crap."

On Evan's right, Captain Sanchez snorted, the muscles in his jaw clenching with the obvious effort it was taking not to burst out laughing. Lieutenant Browne chose to look away, his face stoic if not for a barely there twitch in the side of his mouth.

Evan shook his head in mock sadness as he followed the others towards the waiting star gate. "You have absolutely _no_ sense of self-preservation, do you Edison?"

"Apparently not." Edison mumbled.

* * *

Stepping through the event horizon, they exited into a narrow valley surrounded by a heavy forest of towering trees. The silence rang against their ears as the gate dissolved, the sounds of the forest hiding from their arrival. A sharp smell of pine accompanied the crispness of the air, and several people inhaled deeply.

The early morning suns hadn't yet crested the trees to their right, leaving long shadows across the ground. The sky was a light shade of blue, swiped with the occasional cloud formation. The day would most likely be warm, but an added sharpness in the air told Ronon it would most likely rain before nightfall.

Moving to the other side of the DHD, the group waited while Rodney extracted his scanner.

"Okay then…" The scientist's index finger touched the screen in several spots. "I'm picking up the faint energy reading Major Palmer glossed over in his report… Not enough to power a flashlight. Well within planetary paramaters... It's over…" his finger pointed to the left. "There."

"A lab?"

"No it's a moon-rock." Rodney said sarcastically. "How should I know? Never been here, remember?"

"How far?" John did a full three-sixty, his eyes taking in their surroundings.

Rodney looked down. "Three point four kilometers."

"Any life signs?" Teyla asked.

"Nope." Rodney moved to tuck the scanner back into his pocket but John held out his hand expectantly. "What?" The scientist frowned. "Don't trust me?"

"Kilometers?" John made a face and wiggled his fingers.

Rodney slapped the scanner unceremoniously into the Colonel's hand.

John glanced at the screen, then shook his head slowly. "Wow. It really is metric."

"What's metric?" Teyla said, glancing between John and Rodney, her question ignored as Rodney snatched the scanner back.

"Yes, it's metric! There's like… _two_ countries on Earth who still insist on using _Imperial_…" he drew the word out as though it was dirty… "The rest of the civilized world has quite easily made the conversion to Metric. I honestly don't understand why the United States can't just get with the program."

"Maybe we like our archaic ways."

"Even your yards don't match. How you can play football like that I'll never know."

"Hey." Captain Sanchez warned. "Don't be insulting the greatest game ever played."

"You mean hockey?" Rodney said with a smirk.

"Technically that would be golf." John added with a shake of his head. Then he turned towards the others, ignoring Rodney's saucy glare to the Captain. "Okay folks, let's move out. Stick to the trail, watch out for poison ivy, and don't eat the red berries."

"Red berries?" Teyla mouthed to John, who just grinned.

Within minutes the group had moved from the open clearing and into the shadows of the tall trees.

Ronon followed, his solitary position to the rear becoming a little more crowded as Major Lorne subtly let himself drop back.

Ronon had to admit he wanted to know what Evan said to Jennifer to cause such an abrupt change in attitude. He, himself, had been trying to convince her to either stay behind, or relax, since he'd met up with her in the gate room. Until her discussion with Lorne, she'd looked about ready to jump out of her boots.

Then in the space of a few seconds, she'd completely switched emotions.

Evan stepped along beside him, and they passed a few moments in silence. Ronon didn't press the issue, although his curiosity was definitely piqued.

"Did the Doc happen to mention she came to see earlier?" Evan said, his voice low enough to keep from carrying.

"No." Ronon glanced sideways at Evan, wondering why the Major would be asking him that particular question. "Should she have?"

They took a few more quiet steps through the forest before Evan continued. "Is she in some kind of trouble?"

Ronon stopped. "Why?"

Evan glanced over his shoulder at the group who was slowly moving away, then back towards Ronon. "Why do I ask? Or why am I asking you?"

"Both."

"Because something's up and I want a second opinion."

"Why mine, not Sheppard's?"

"He's next. But you have… a… special interest, correct?" Evan angled his head.

Ronon didn't admit, and he didn't deny, but the Major took the silence as a positive.

"She signed out an M9 this morning."

"What?" Ronon growled, his ears not believing the statement, but the sudden stiffness in his spine told him he'd heard correctly. His eyes automatically moved up the trail to the group threading through the trees several yards ahead. He saw the blond pony-tail swishing back and forth in time with her steps as she talked animatedly with Teyla.

"And you _gave_ her one?" He asked, turning back towards Evan.

"She's fully trained and qualified." Evan rolled his shoulder, working out the kink he'd been carrying since six a.m.. "I couldn't _not_ give her one. Technically, all off-world personnel are _supposed_ to carry one."

"She has it with her now?" Ronon moved forward, the urge to close the gap growing stronger.

"As far as I know."

"Backpack?" Ronon frowned, his eyes locking on the backpack that swayed under the blond ponytail.

"That's my guess." Evan acknowledged.

"Why?"

"She wouldn't tell me." Then he looked pointedly at Ronon. "I was hoping she might have told you."

Ronon snorted.

Damn woman.

"What did you say to her before?" He suddenly remembered to ask.

"Where?"

"In the gate-room. She looked awfully… happy."

"Now that's the odd thing…" Evan frowned. "I have no idea. She asked if we were coming with… I said yes… she said that was great, and voila."

Ronon stared at her back as they closed the gap, falling into silence as they caught up to the group. Laughing at something Captain Sanchez said to McKay, she didn't seem like a woman who suddenly needed to carry added firepower.

The look the Major gave him required no vocal affirmation, so he simply nodded. Evan accepted the answer with a nod of his own before moving forward.

By the time they'd stopped at the edge of a clearing, Ronon had run through, and dismissed a dozen scenarios that would give her reason to start carrying a weapon. Half were self preservation, and half were making his jaw hurt.

When she glanced towards him, her smile bright and genuine, he briefly forgot why he was clenching his teeth. The spell was broken when she turned back around, and he caught sight of her knapsack.

The decision quickly made, he followed the group along the top of the narrow hillside. As soon as he got a chance he'd be asking a certain doctor a very specific question. And he'd damn well better understand the answer.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Author's Note**: Okay so here we are, on the planet. And yes, we all know where we're going... but who knows how we're going to get there, hmmm? :) Enjoy!_

* * *

Jen decided that if she was going to be out traipsing through the woods on some possibly Michael-infested planet, she should just give it up and go with it.

The sky was blue, not white. The planet was empty, there were no life signs. There was no dead tree. And there _was_ Evan and his team. It was not her dream, and it was not a nightmare. She was here, they were here and it was all good.

Well, except it _was_ Pegasus and all.

She shook her head, ignoring the little voice inside her skull which was trying to tell her that just because nothing was the same didn't mean she should let down her guard.

For some reason her backpack felt at least twenty pounds heavier than it should have, and she knew exactly why. Not that she should be worried about something she'd stuffed into the front pocket… handle up… easy to reach. Or the two clips she'd put in with it. Or anything else for that matter since technically everything was not the way it was supposed to be.

That was a good thing, wasn't it?

Staring up at the trees, she looked for anything dead, anything out of the ordinary. The land was too wooded, and the sky too blue. It couldn't be today and that made her happy. She started to smile to think of how crazy nervous she'd been before finding out Evan and his team would be accompanying them. It was silly, really. To be so out of sorts for just a dream.

Jen hadn't realized she'd fallen out of step with the group until hands landed against her shoulders.

"That way." Ronon said, shifting her angle to the right.

She jumped first, grimaced second, and blushed third.

"Sorry." She mumbled, her eyes moving to the group which was weaving its way through the trees, their general direction chosen by Rodney's scanner.

Ronon turned her around to face him, his position close enough to give Jen a little shiver. She tilted her head up, unsure of his closed expression. Lately she'd become much better at reading his emotions – the set of his jaw, the movement of his eyes, how tightly he crossed his arms – but right now she couldn't decide.

"I talked to Evan." He announced, his voice low but direct.

_Oh, crap._

"I… uh… you did, huh."

Ronon leaned a little closer, and she would have stepped back if not for the strategic placement of a large tree trunk to her back.

"You going to tell me what's going on, or do I have to ask Evan that too?"

"I… what? No, I…"

"Keller!" Sheppard called from the right, his voice as sharp as his mood appeared to be. He didn't walk so much as stride through the trees towards them.

Jen sidestepped Ronon, and moved towards John. "Sorry." She said quickly. "I'm afraid I wasn't paying attention and got a little turned around."

"Since when do you feel the need to start packing?" John frowned, stopping abruptly in front of her.

"Packing?" Jen wrinkled her nose. "I always pack my own supplies."

"Since when is an M9 part of your supplies?" John glared at Ronon, not liking the Satedan's expression. "Did you know anything about this?"

Ronon shook his head. "Just found out."

"Someone giving you trouble?" John demanded, turning back towards Jen.

"I… what? No!" Jen exclaimed. "What is with you guys? I have better ways of dealing with someone who's bothering me than having to _shoot_ them!"

"So someone _is_ bothering you." John leaned forward.

"No." Jen shook her head at the circular conversation. "No one is bothering me. And even if they were I wouldn't be inclined to shoot them! Well… unless they were like… evil… or Wraith or something. Then maybe-"

"Doc!" John interrupted. "If there's something going on then I need to know about it. Whatever you told Evan had him eager enough to drop a M9 into your palm-"

"Now wait just a minute." Jen pursed her lips in frustration, eyeing her two self-elected bodyguards. "I didn't tell _him_ anything either."

"Tell him anything about what?" Ronon persisted.

"Oh for god's sake." She exhaled, her voice increasing in pitch and speed as she failed to contain her frustration. It broke out in one long flow. "It's just a… feeling, okay? A silly, stupid, keep me awake all night for the last six nights horrible feeling that something is going to go terribly wrong and I can see it happening. I keep seeing it happening, over and over and there's nothing I can do to stop it because I'm the only one who sees it coming and people DIE because I'm too chicken shit to carry a damn weapon, okay? It's embarrassing enough that everyone thinks I'm useless on these off-world missions unless of course you manage to get yourself shot, or stabbed, or eaten by a giant fig, and then it's all get-Keller-out-here… but the minute I ask to carry a gun, which is perfectly within my legal right, and it's all _what's wrong_ and _careful, you might hurt yourself_! So there. Happy now? I said it. I have a bad feeling and I wanted a weapon. Next time maybe you should just take Dr. Taylor. I'm sure having a manly-man on your missions would be much more appropriate to your level of safety than having to spend all your time making sure I don't shoot myself in the foot."

She turned on her heel and stomped off through the trees.

John and Ronon exchanged glances.

"Eaten by a giant fig?" John questioned.

Jen spun back around. "And need I remind you, Colonel, that I passed my weapons accuracy test with flying colors?"

Then she spun away again, and marched quickly off through the trees.

"She did?" Ronon asked, a smirk tugging the corners of his mouth.

"She did." John agreed.

"Huh." Ronon grunted thoughtfully.

"Just a feeling?" John's brow furrowed, then he shrugged. "I suppose that's as good a reason as any."

Ronon nodded, watching the way her backpack hopped up and down on her shoulders as she marched. He could still her hear voice as she muttered to herself, her arms waving in accompaniment.

Sheppard sighed. "Suppose I'm going to have to apologize."

"Probably."

"She should have said something."

"Yup."

"She's certainly stubborn."

"Yup."

"So which one of us is going to go tell her she's going the wrong way?"

Ronon couldn't help the grin. "I got it."

"Figured you might."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh… nothing." John smirked, moving off to the right while Ronon moved left after Jennifer.

"Jennifer." Ronon called out as he caught up to her.

She didn't answer, just continued walking.

"Hey." He fell into step beside her. "Sheppard says he sorry."

She harrumphed.

"So am I."

That earned him a sideways glance.

"You could have said something."

"Said what? Can I have a gun because my nightmare told me I needed one?"

He angled his head. "Is that what you told Lorne?"

"No, I just told him I had a bad feeling. I didn't think he was going to give it to me." Then she looked sideways at him through her bangs.

"What?"

She flipped her hair away from her eyes. "You trust your instincts, don't you?"

"Always."

"Are they ever wrong?"

"Never." Ronon grinned when she rolled her eyes. "Rarely." He re-qualified.

She sighed. "Do you think I should just ignore it?"

"Do _you_?" He countered.

She hesitated, blinking back the images that threatened to resurface, then shook her head. "No."

"Then neither do I."

"You're not just saying that?"

He shook his head, his voice serious. "I don't say things I don't mean."

She nodded, accepting his hand as he helped her over the fallen husk of a large, moss covered trunk. Once across, she didn't pull away, and he didn't relinquish her fingers.

"Tell me about the dream." He asked. "All of it."

Jen hesitated, not wanting to have to bring those images back into her mind. But it was sunny, and warm, and he was here beside her, so she pushed against the memories and tried to concentrate on the beauty of the lush green forest while she talked.

She told him about the nightmare. The hillside and the strange sky, the dead tree with its circular branch, the attackers and the arrows. She kept the details to a minimum, unable to bring herself to talk about the blood… or describe the way his eyes stared into the sky… or try to talk about the way the others screamed around her… She left it at death and felt the reassurance of his arms when they landed around her, pulling her against his chest. She hadn't realized how tightly she was holding him until she finally released her arms with a twinge in the muscles, and a muttered apology.

"And it's been the same, over and over?" He asked thoughtfully, walking beside her as they continued.

She nodded. "Exactly the same. Down to the sounds."

"And it's been going on for…"

"Six nights now."

"What did Teyla say?"

"She was trying to get me to go through the details so she could ask me questions about it. I think she was more concerned about what it represented than it being real."

"She's probably right."

Jen shrugged.

"But you don't think so." He glanced down at her.

"I… I don't know." She said softly, looking up at him. "I honestly don't know."

For a few moments, they continued on in silence, moving through the trees, hand in hand. Jen let her mind drift away from the images and concentrate on their surroundings. She could see the others in front of them now, a few curious over the shoulder glances splitting into grins. She ignored them, shaking her head at the rumors that were sure to start the minute they reached the gate room floor.

It would have been a nice planet to visit for an afternoon hike. A long, comfortable walk. Maybe find a place to stop and have lunch… a picnic… relaxing away the afternoon. The smell of pine and fresh air, the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves high above.

It reminded her of some of the Conservation Areas back home and she felt a brief pang of homesickness.

"What?" He asked.

"Nothing." She smiled, immediately agreeing it was way better being here with him than back home without. "I was just thinking this would be a good spot for lunch."

"If you're hungry, I'm sure McKay has plenty to spare."

"No, I mean a picnic. With a blanket… and a basket of food."

"Oh." He blinked, then grinned suggestively. "Blanket, huh."

Jen wacked him across the arm.

Ronon shrugged. "You said it, not me."

"To sit on." She said pointedly.

"So _you_ say."

Jen laughed. "Although knowing my luck we'd be attacked by giant ants."

"That's okay." He grinned mischievously. "You can just shoot them."

"Ronon!" She exclaimed.

"Just saying…"

She shook her head. "Your incorrigible."

"That's a good thing, right?"

"No." She laughed, then shrugged. "But I don't mind."


	9. Chapter 9

"This is it." Rodney whispered, his fingers pointing to a craggy hollow at the base of a small rocky rise. The opening to the cave was narrow, recessed in amongst the vegetation.

"Why are you whispering?" John asked, his voice a normal volume.

"I…" Rodney cleared his throat then spoke a little louder. "I don't know?"

Ronon stepped forward, his eyes on the ground. "No tracks. No footprints."

John nodded. "And if we're lucky, no bodies." Shifting his P90, he switched on the light and moved slowly forward, flanked by Teyla and Ronon.

Jen flowed forward with the rest, then suddenly found herself sandwiched between Evan and Edison, their barrels leading the way. Rodney followed directly behind her, with Sanchez and Browne picking up the tail end.

Once inside, the narrow fissure opened into a massive cave, and Jen stopped so suddenly Rodney plowed into her.

"Sor…ry…" Rodney faltered when she stumbled forward, his eyes immediately rising to join the others. "Whoa," he whispered, grabbing for the tablet velcroed into the pack at his back.

Jen knew her mouth was open, but for the moment, she couldn't think to close it.

Easily thirty feet high and twice as wide, the entire cavern was awash in color. Sharp crystals and stones covered the ceiling and walls, glittering and glowing, casting everything in a neon green glow. The lights from the P90's bounced and reflected, adding a disco ball effect of tiny sparkles of white to the walls of the cave as people turned to examine the spectacular location.

It was spectacularly beautiful. She could think of a dozen words to describe it, but each one seemed pale in comparison to the stunning beauty of the crystalline cavern.

She stepped forward, eyeing the sharply pointed shards. Smoothly sided like glass icicles, the glow seemed to emanate from deep inside the wall, reflecting out through the edges of the crystals. She reached tentatively forward, her fingers hovering over a particularly large piece, wondering if it would be cool or warm. She froze in place when Rodney's voice cut the silence.

"Don't… touch!" He ordered loudly.

Jen turned to see more than a few hands snapping back down.

"Good lord, people." Rodney exclaimed, shaking his head disgustedly. "Need I remind you of what happened the _last _time someone ignored the '_don't-touch-the-glowing-rocks_' rule? Hmm?" He glared pointedly at John, who had the grace to look slightly sheepish.

"Exactly." Rodney nodded. "Now." He looked back down at his tablet, his index finger moving quickly over the screen, muttering quietly to himself. "Okay." He finally nodded, then looked up.

"And…" John asked, raising an eyebrow.

"That way." Rodney turned and pointed to the far right corner.

Jen followed the direction of Rodney's hand, noting the dark opening to another tunnel. Set back in the glowing rock wall, the black of the opening was dramatically contrasted against the light of the walls surrounding it.

"The energy signature?" John moved towards the fissure.

"Yep." Rodney followed. "Stronger in here, but nothing to write home about. I doubt it's a lab. My guess is it's more of a geophysical anomaly."

"You sure it's not these crystals?" John waved his hand towards the back wall.

"I'm sure." Rodney nodded. "They're not emitting any energy other than low levels of electromatic radiation. Probably some type of phosphorescence. I'm sure the geology team would be boringly fascinated."

John nodded. "Good."

Rodney spun around, rolling his eyes at Captain Sanchez. "Don't! Touch!"

"You said they weren't emitting any energy." Sanchez snatched his hand back.

"That doesn't mean they can't kill you." Rodney snapped. "Or inhabit your body. Or take over your mind. Or contain an alien entity that decides rowboats and whales are hilariously funny-"

"Okay, McKay." John cut him off. "We get it. No one's touching the crystals…" he ordered, looking pointedly around at the group.

Jen shuddered involuntarily. No one had to remind her about the nasties of the crystal entity that ran through the team and made a new word out of _nightmare_. And as one thought lead to another she quickly made it to her own brushes with dreamland lately and she hunched her shoulders against the chill spiking across her scalp.

She eyed the glowing walls warily and rejoined the others as they all moved into the tunnel.

Large enough to pass through in single file, everyone fell into place as the rock corridor turned sharply left. Lead only by the sharp white glow of their flashlights, the darkness and silence was only slightly claustrophobic. Following Teyla, Jen slid to a halt when the Athosian suddenly stopped, her right fist raised in the universal _stop-moving-and-shut-up_ sign.

A tomblike silence descended and Jen held her breath. She jumped when a heavy hand landed firmly on her shoulder. Ronon moved her quickly to the side, shoving her in behind Sanchez before moving up behind Teyla. Jen wasn't sure if she should feel annoyed, or flattered. She chose the latter. Sanchez slid to the side, blocking Jen's view of anything but his backside. She felt, more than saw, Evan standing directly behind her.

When they moved forward, she was carried with them, wedged between the Captain and the Major.

As they exited the tunnel, Jen's eyes quickly adjusted to the new source of light, a dulcet yellow glow coming from something across the small cavern. The ceiling here was lower, only a few feet above their heads, and the walls were close. The room was barely wide enough for three people to stand shoulder to shoulder, but it was deep. The yellowed light reflected from somewhere in front and Jen peered around Sanchez back to get a better view.

"Okay, now that's just creepy." Rodney whispered from up front.

From around Sanchez' elbow, Jen could see the narrow cavern was lined with shelves that had been meticulously cut out of the rock walls. Standing on the floor at the far end, a large cluster of glowing rocks cast the faint gleam, highlighting everything, it's pulsing light drawing long, flickering shadows over the walls and floors.

But it wasn't the light that caught everyone's attention. It was the shelves and their contents.

Bodies.

Or more appropriately.

Skeletons.

Lots of them.

"I thought you said there'd be no bodies?" Rodney whispered to John, who was looking around the room.

"I said if we were lucky…" John muttered, eyeing a skull which seemed to be glaring directly at him.

"What is this place?" Edison asked quietly.

"A burial crypt." Teyla answered, holding her flashlight towards the side of one of the shelves. Lightly brushing away the dust and cobwebs she exposed a long line of carved glyphs. "I don't recognize it." She shook her head. "Ronon?"

Ronon stepped forward, eyeing the carvings, then shook his head. "Doesn't look familiar. But this does." He reached up to a shelf above his head and lifted a long blade, it's hilt still clasped tightly in the boney grip of it's owner.

"Bola Kai." Teyla exhaled. "This must be one of their burial sites."

"Long abandoned." Ronon let go of the skeleton's wrist and the blade fell back with an audible clack.

"I have heard of such places, but luckily, have never seen one."

"Luckily?" Evan asked, immediately hanging on her choice of words.

"The Bola Kai are not ones to appreciate disturbances of their dead." She answered, turning towards John. "Their warriors are buried with their amour and weapons, and usually protected with… booby… traps?" Her voice hesitated around the unfamiliar word. "We should not be here."

"Hey." Rodney called, now kneeling next to the large, glowing crystal. "I found our power source. It's under here."

"Rodney." Teyla cautioned as McKay set his tablet down and tried to move his crystal. "I do not think that's a good idea."

"McKay." John warned.

"Relax." Rodney answered, leaning against the large stone and pushing. "I know what I'm-"

In a sudden flash of light, Rodney flew backwards with a yelp, landing hard on his backside against the floor of the cave.

"Rodney!" Jen pushed Sanchez out of the way and rushed forward, dropping beside the sputtering scientist. "Are you okay?"

"Damn it, McKay." John cursed, moving quickly forward.

"Okay… Ow!" Rodney cried out, threading his arms across his chest and tucking his hands into his armpits. "That… hurt!"

"Let me see." Jen ordered, grabbing for Rodney's hands. Reaching up to the barrel of Evan's P90 she yanked it down, rolling her eyes when Rodney jumped at seeing the barrel pointed at his hands. "Oh relax. He's not going to shoot you, are you Major?"

"Only if you order me to, Doc." Evan grinned at Rodney.

Jen turned Rodney's hands over in her palms, the light from the Major's flashlight highlighting his skin. "They don't appear to be burnt, and there's no contusions, but we should probably get you back just incase."

"That was worse than grabbing an electric fence!"

"You grabbed an electric fence?" John shook his head, helping Jen pull Rodney to his feet.

"Once." Rodney muttered. "And that's all I'm saying."

John scooped Rodney's tablet off the ground. "What happened to _don't touch the crystals_?"

Rodney glared at John and snatched his tablet back.

"The Bola Kai are not known for their lenience with those who disturb their dead." Teyla said directly to John, who turned to eye the now dimly glowing rock.

"Right." John nodded. "Okay kids, straight back to the gate this time, no lolly-gagging, and no more touching the shiny things."


	10. Chapter 10

The trip back to the gate was going to be more direct, and this time Jen made a note not to fall behind.

As they left the cavern, an urgency seemed to fall amongst them, and few people spoke. It wasn't that their footsteps were faster, but the general attitude definitely was. Feet were placed with more assurance, and P90's were held in hands, instead of dangling off TAC vest clips.

It had taken well over an hour to reach the cave by following the valley. By cutting across the top of the small escarpment, the Colonel insisted they'd shave at least fifteen minutes off their travel time.

Jen felt the tension rising in her abdomen as they walked, the now familiar knot settling in with a vengeance. She absently rubbed her stomach with her thumb and couldn't seem to stop herself from looking around, but this time it wasn't the scenery that had her attention. It was something else... but something she couldn't quite place. Goosebumps prickled down her spine and she shuddered, her steps faltering. She stopped and looked around, her eyes scanning the area to their left.

"Everything okay, Doc?" Evan said as he approached from behind.

She'd been walking behind Teyla, John and Rodney, but they'd moved out of earshot. Behind her moved Evan and his team, with Ronon picking up the final pieces.

Jen nodded, turning towards the Major. "Yes. I'm fine." She shook her head to clear it, then fell into step beside him.

"Still got that feeling?" He looked down to where her left hand was rubbing circles across her abdomen.

She followed his eyes, then immediately dropped her hand.

"Oh yeah." She whispered. "But the location is all wrong."

"The location?" He frowned. "Your gut gives you locations?"

"I… No." Jen laughed quickly, realizing how ridiculous her statement sounded. Then her smile faltered and she glanced around once more as a prickle ran up between her shoulder-blades.

"Please tell me you can feel that." She asked quietly, pausing under a massive tree.

"Feel what?" Edison asked, stopping beside her, his eyes watching the trees to their right.

"It's like… electricity." She answered. "The way the air feels right before a thunderstorm."

Sanchez looked up first. "Sky's darker. I'd say it's going to rain."

"Yeah. You're probably right." Jen agreed verbally, while her mind paged through half a dozen disagreements. She looked up, trying to see the sky through the leafy canopy. The light was definitely… different. Not darker… but no longer sunny.

She shivered violently, remembering the age old adage of someone walking across your grave. It most definitely did not make her feel any better about the lump of granite sitting in her stomach.

"Doc?" Evan questioned, and Jen could see the concern churning beneath the piercing blue eyes. But he didn't back away. And he didn't comment. He just waited.

"Got ants, Edison?" Sanchez asked, pointing out the Lieutenants weight shifting.

Edison stopped moving from foot to foot. "What?"

"Why are you so jumpy?" Sanchez angled his chin to point at the Lieutenant.

"You're the one with his finger on the trigger." Edison retorted.

Sanchez quickly straightened his index finger, uncoiling it from the trigger. "Do not."

"This place gives me the creeps." Browne mumbled, turning all eyes towards him. "What?"

"It's a forest, numb-nuts." Edison smirked. "Kinda reminds me of home."

"Yeah, well it reminds _me_ of the forest on 749." Browne looked pointedly at Edison, who's smirk quickly disappeared.

"749?" Jen asked quickly, looking between them.

"Giant hopping tree frogs." Edison shuddered. "Freekin' things were bigger than my Rottie. Looked more like a kangaroo. Perfectly camo'd in with the damn trees. Thought it was a stump until it jumped clear over my head. Nearly crushed Browne."

"Don't remind me." Browne muttered with a shudder. "Gave me nightmares, all greasy and covered in those boils…"

"It was a frog." Sanchez snorted. "Kinda cute… until you blew it's head off." He frowned at Browne.

"It tried to kill me!" Browne eyed the forest in front of him warily.

Jen stared at Browne, wondering why she hadn't seen that in a report anywhere, then realized with a shake of her head it was probably because no one had gotten injured.

She shrieked and jumped as a sudden bust of sound had everyone spinning towards the right. In a second Brown was in a crouch with his P90 to his shoulder, Sanchez and Edison stood in position immediately behind him, and Evan had her pinned against a tree while he aimed into the forest.

"It's a rabbit." Ronon announced flatly from beside Evan, as a large, dark brown blur hopped frantically away and disappeared under a rock.

The only reason Jen didn't scream out at Ronon's appearance was because she'd actually been facing him when he'd arrived. But her body physically jumped when he spoke anyway.

"Shit!" Edison cursed, glaring at Ronon as he lowered his P90. "Dude you gotta make more noise or something."

Ronon just grunted.

"Okay, enough chatter." Evan muttered, rolling his shoulders. "Let's get a move on."

It didn't take long to catch up with the others once everyone started moving again. With a questioning look from Sheppard, Evan just shrugged. Jen wasn't really sure she could explain the added jumpiness that seemed to be falling around them, and was happy Evan decided not to try, either.

Fifteen minutes later the trees seemed to thin, dumping them out along the edge of a small hill. Jen could see a narrow valley running below, and wondered if they'd intersected their previous path. The side of the hill was dry dirt and short scrub grass as it sloped thirty feet down to the bottom. Apparently the planet could use the approaching rain, if the dead state of the grass was any indication.

Stepping out from the shadow of the trees, Jen stared up at the sky, which was clouded over with a coat of white. It wasn't dark and grey like a covering of rain clouds should be, but the intent was there. It blocked the sun.

"Told you." Rodney snorted at John, dropping his pack onto the ground with a flourish. "Thirty six minutes."

"To what?" Ronon asked, stepping between the scientist and the Colonel.

"How long it would take us to intersect the trail." Rodney said smugly.

"Why?" Ronon frowned.

"Why not?" Rodney shrugged.

Ronon just shook his head.

Jen felt a tension rising between her shoulder blades and shrugged out of her knapsack, choosing instead to carry it by the top strap. Rolling her shoulders, she watched the group as they collected along the hillside. She could feel Ronon watching her, but she couldn't seem to bring herself to meet his gaze. Instead her eyes were pulled towards the others.

It caught her as exceptionally curious and she couldn't stop her mind from trying to slot everything together. It was like staring at a what's-missing puzzle. Everyone was here, and everyone was present, but everyone was… somehow… wrong. This definitely wasn't the hillside from her dream... so what was the problem?

Evan and Edison stood next to Sheppard on the edge of the ridge, and all three men had their legs braced as though waiting for something to start. A race… a call to action… something specific, but unannounced. Sanchez kept checking the sky, which pulled her gaze up towards the whitewashed clouds. They seemed to be thinning – she could almost feel the blue trying to ink it's way through. Browne was switching between staring at Sanchez, and turning back to look at Jen, his fingers tapping out a staggered rhythm against the stock of his P90. Teyla was pacing, unsure of whether or not she wanted to stand next to John, Ronon, or Jen. In the end the Athosian turned away from the group to take a few steps down the hill next to Jen.

It wasn't Teyla's nearness that drew Jen to go with her… but the shocked expression on the Athosian's face when she looked up the base of a massive pine tree a few feet down the hill.

Jen was drawn to the look of confusion that drilled into her when Teyla looked directly into her eyes. Jen couldn't stop herself from walking forward.

"What?" She whispered, the thought of speaking aloud suddenly incredibly terrifying. Her heart leapt into her throat and stuck there with a lump of dryness.

Teyla raised her head and Jen looked up at the exact moment the twin suns broke through the clouds.

Colors brightened, and time stopped as the surrounding sky took on an ethereal glow. Hidden in the shadows of the massive pine, Teyla and Jen stared up at the highest portion of a long dead tree to the right, and the naked branch that formed a perfect circle against the sky.

"No..." Jen exhaled, the sudden pain of knowing what was about to happen stopping her heart.

She spun towards the hillside, a nausious roll of Deja Vu washed over her like a massive wave.

The people were wrong. The placement was wrong.

It didn't matter.

Her entire body convulsed when she saw a tiny flash of red through the leaves behind Rodney.

It was here.

It was now.

It was all coming true.


	11. Chapter 11

* * *

All sound ceased as Jen followed the play in complete silence, her movements restricted as she tried to run against the flow of time.

The expression on Ronon's face as he took two steps towards her caught in her throat. He knew. He understood now. She'd been right all along.

She prayed for release. Prayed for reprieve. But it didn't matter. It was happening again and this time, it was for real.

The spell was broken as Teyla rushed past, her P90 to her shoulder, and everything moved at once.

Jen's feet were rushing her up the hill and her mind saw each frame as a still photograph. Browne's expression was cold as he swung around, facing trees which moved in a rhythm that didn't convey wind. Sanchez dropped awkwardly to a knee, the dark shaft of an arrow embedded in his thigh. Ronon's direction changed, his shout spinning everyone towards the trees, blasting holes through the branches as the dark clothed men appeared from the shadows. John and Evan sprayed the hillside to their left, rolling for cover further down the embankment. Edison dove for Sanchez, dragging the wounded man away from the trees, both men shooting as the fur cloaked men appeared.

As she crested the hill, Jen had one destination in mind. The giant split trunk behind Rodney and the two Bola Kai she knew stood behind it. The rest would be taken care of… the rest would fair. She was needed _here_.

Bodies collided in front of her as Edison was tackled from behind. The Bola Kai raised his dagger for the kill. She shrieked out a warning as Rodney emptied half his clip into the back of the attacker.

Rodney looked up at her… but not behind where he should have.

The trunk behind McKay wavered and became a bigger shape, it's shadows revealing the darkness and the fur as the warrior aimed.

Rodney fell hard into the dirt, landing on his back. Jen knew he was winded, knew Ronon threw him with force, but she also knew Rodney wasn't going to be the one to die.

With a fluid grace born of years, Ronon shot the man who approached McKay, his arm arcing to the right to take out a Bola Kai standing over Sanchez. He continued his flow through, arching over Jen's head to take out a man behind Teyla, then the rest of his circle flowed with two more shots into the trees behind Sheppard.

Jen watched his back and shoulders rotate, waiting for the final part of his turn, and the final spin towards death.

She didn't hesitate, didn't wait, didn't bother to think past the knowledge that there was one more. She jumped as high as she could, leaping so she wouldn't trip over Rodney, who was pushing himself upright. As she came down, her shoes slammed hard into the dry earth jarring her knees and hips. She staggered to such an abrupt stop it felt as though someone had punched her in the stomach. She almost fell forward, but steadied herself, her arm extended. Her hand was forward, and this time... this time... it wasn't empty.

She could fell Ronon completing his turn behind her, the barrel of his gun approaching the side of her left ear.

Her finger twitched, the recoil bucking up to her shoulder as she aimed for the right side of the tree. Two bullets caught the trunk, flinging bark into the air. She braced her wrist, aiming into the shadows. A sharp red burst of energy scarred across the trunk as a feeling numbness flowed through her body when the clip emptied.

The shadow moved and straightened, parting branches as it toppled forward towards the ground. Fingers clenching a blood soaked chest, the man hit face down and lay still.

Jen couldn't breathe.

Couldn't think.

Couldn't hear.

Silence met her ears as she stared down at the body on the ground. Dead. He was dead. Energy blasts passed in front of her vision and she knew… _He_ still stood behind her. It was done. It was over. She'd changed it. Relief flooded her and she would have laughed if not for the silence that still invaded her mind.

The ground felt cold and hard against her knees.

The sky looked frightfully bright, the tops of the trees swaying at a strange angle.

Her arms drooped heavily against her sides, the barrel of the handgun resting in the dirt. Her left hand felt for the knot in her abdomen. Strange how it wasn't hard and painful now. Instead? Instead it felt warm.

Sanchez was yelling but no sound was coming out. She could see him over the top of the body. His face was flushed with anger. No… with… worry… with something she couldn't quite place as he scrambled towards her, his left hand gripping the long shaft of the arrow still stuck in his leg.

He needed that looked at.

He was obviously coming for help.

She tried to tell him to stop moving – he'd tear something, but her voice wasn't working.

Odd.

And why was everything so quiet?

Her head swayed and dropped, without the energy to keep itself upright. She looked down, the brightness of color against the dull drab tone of her uniform making her frown. Her left hand was red. Soaked red. Wrapped around something hard. She opened her palm and held it against the double wooden shafts poking through the front pocket of her jacket. A mere inch apart they seemed awfully close together. And wow were they long. They certainly stuck out far.

Strange.

This wasn't how it happened before.

Warmth flooded her back and she looked up as the world tilted.

_Ronon_.

Alive.

He should be happy. Why wasn't he happy? She'd done it, hadn't she?

She smiled.

Tried to raise her arms to him, but they were heavy. Too heavy.

Goodness she was tired all of a sudden.

Maybe she should just go back to sleep for a while. Maybe this time the dream would go away. Maybe this time she could finally get a decent night's sleep.

* * *

Evan. Why was Evan here? He wasn't part of the dream. His hands were red. Should they be? He must be painting again. But why was he holding a field dressing?

* * *

Trees swayed oddly above her, flowing past as she floated beneath them. She was upside down. The world was upside down. What an odd way to have a dream. But it was warm in the hammock as she swayed back and forth. Back and forth. Peaceful. The sun felt nice on her face. She closed her eyes and let the warmth drift her back into the lovely nap.

* * *

It was cold on the floor beneath the metal ceiling. There wasn't much room between the seats. And the sun was gone. No more warmth. Faces hovered above her. Ronon. Rodney. Teyla. Evan. Calling. Yelling at her. What was everyone so upset about? Didn't they know she was trying to sleep?

* * *

Where was John? Flying. He must be up front. He loved to fly. Reminded her of her Dad. Never trusted anyone else to drive. She always fell asleep on the long drives. Couldn't keep her eyes open. So soothing, the rocking motion. Like being weightless.

* * *

Someone had taken her insides and lit them on fire.

She wanted to curl inside herself. Protect. To be free of the stabbing pain that slithered through her lower body.

Fingers pressing into her arms. Hands pushed away. She needed it out. Needed the pain gone. It hurt. It hurt so much! Make it stop!

* * *

She needed to find him. Needed him to see. She wasn't just dreaming. It was going to happen. It was going to come true. He couldn't die. She couldn't let it. She had to find him. She'd stop them. They'd see. They'd all see. She wasn't crazy. She wasn't useless. She wasn't…

* * *

Warmth.

Heat.

Security.

Sleep.

It was alright. Everything was going to be fine. Everyone was okay. No one was going to hurt her. No one would be allowed.

She sighed and snuggled deeper.

Tired.

Let sleep come.

She was safe now.


	12. Chapter 12

"Hold her still!" Evan ordered.

Ronon grabbed Jennifer's hands and pulled them tightly across her chest, locking them in place. She was lying back with her head in his lap while they fought to keep her spine as straight as possible. In the dirt beside him, Sanchez lay on his stomach, his arms extended under her back, keeping her spine off the ground so Evan could reach under with the dressings. The Major needed to secure the arrows so they would do no more damage when they moved her.

More damage.

The words burned.

There was so much blood.

* * *

"We'll need to roll her." Evan commanded, wedging the edge of their makeshift stretcher up against Jennifer's left side. "McKay. Here. Browne. Here. As soon as we have her on her side, slide the edge right over and we'll roll her back down. One fluid motion. Ready?"

A chorus of nods.

"Go."

* * *

"They're back!" Rodney pointed as the familiar shape of a jumper spun over the trees and landed in the valley at the bottom of the hill.

The rear hatch was already half-open before John had the craft on the ground.

* * *

"No, I _didn't_ have time to wait for Dr. Taylor. The faster we get her back, the faster they'll be able to help her! Now sit down, shut up, and brace yourselves! Atlantis - this is Jumper One. Tell Dr. Taylor he'd better be in that god-damn jumper bay by the time we hit the control room or I'll be drop kicking his time-sensitive ass off the west pier!"

* * *

"What's so wrong with her wanting to carry a gun?" Rodney shook his head. "Everyone else does."

"It's not that she carried it… it's that she didn't tell anyone." John muttered.

"Evan knew." Rodney pointed at Lorne. "She probably figured he'd do it for her."

"Hey!" Evan frowned.

"Okay look." Rodney rolled his eyes. "When have you ever known Jennifer to share anything personal if it _wasn't_ important? I mean seriously."

No one answered.

He pointed at Teyla. "You knew she was having nightmares… which by the way I think was a really bad idea not calling me, or hell, even Zelenka. What if it had been some kind of alien entity?"

"McKay." John sighed.

"Fine." He shook his head. "Now where was I? Right. Nightmares." Then he turned to Evan. "You knew about the gun and _the gut_ feeling."

Then he looked pointedly from Ronon to John. "And you two knew about all three." He held up his hand, ticking items off on his fingers. "Nightmares. Gut feelings. A handgun. And Jennifer?" He looked around the group, his face incredulous. "Hello! Warning signs! And if _anyone_ had bothered to fill in the analytical genius... well maybe wouldn't be in this situation in the first place!"

"Oh, Rodney." Teyla shook her head. "I'm sure Jennifer would have spoken to you if… given the chance."

His face brightened slightly. "You think so."

"Yes." Teyla nodded. "I'm sure she only hesitated because she did not want you to worry."

"Yeah well… I'm worried… okay? I'm worried."

* * *

"I don't know what's worse." Rodney sighed softly, dropping his tablet onto his lap. "Waiting… Or watching _him_ wait."

"She will be just fine, Rodney." Teyla said softly, her hand warmly patting his shoulder.

"Maybe you should tell Ronon that." Rodney suggested softly, his eyes on his friend, who was pacing a circle along the end of the corridor.

* * *

_Minimal damage… cleaned… incredibly lucky… next twenty four hours… expect her to make a full recovery… just needs to rest._

Ronon heard Marie's words, but they didn't register past the opening statement of _she's going to be just fine_…

* * *

"What do you mean she's _gone_?" John exclaimed.

Ronon growled and grabbed Dr. Taylor by the white jacketed lapels, hauling him up off the floor.

"Ronon!" John put a restraining hand on the Satedan's arm and stared at the empty bed. "If you kill him we'll never get answers."

"I… I don't know!" Taylor tried for firm but only succeeded in aggravating Ronon further. "She was here… now she's not!"

Ronon cursed. He'd let Sheppard talk him into the distraction of a late night sparring session. They were coming back to check up on the Doc's progress when they found her bed empty.

Completely empty.

No blanket.

No Jennifer.

It had damn near given them both a heart attack. Ronon wasn't sure he'd be able to breathe again until Marie appeared, exclaiming Jennifer wasn't dead… she'd just… wandered off. Again.

It was simply back luck that Dr. Taylor had taken that exact moment to walk around the corner.

"You checked her room?" Ronon growled at Marie who was standing behind the Doctor.

Marie nodded. "First place I looked."

Ronon gave the Doctor another shake.

"Ronon!" John warned. "Let go."

Ronon released Taylor with a shove, sending the man sprawling back against one of the empty beds. Taylor regained his balance and straightened his jacket, backing quickly away before turning and scurrying out of the room.

"You keep scaring them all and we're going to run out of doctors." John shook his head, then turned to Marie.

"Don't worry, that one wouldn't be missed." Marie muttered, then turned towards John with an embarrassed shake of her head. "Sorry. She couldn't have gotten far. It's been less than fifteen minutes." Then she looked pointedly at Ronon. "She's a worse patient than you are… This is the second time she's gotten out of bed. If she keeps this up I'm going to have to tie her down. The painkillers are making her very loopy, but feeling… well… no pain. As long as she hasn't pulled the stitches she'll be fine."

* * *

"Hey buddy, you sure about this?" John called from behind him as they ran down the corridor towards the balcony entrance.

Ronon grunted. He was sure. She was here.

He skidded to a stop against the edge of the railing and looked down to the lower level. _There_. Curled up on the small bench along the edge of the building, and wrapped in a mint green blanket, lay Jennifer, fast asleep.

He damn near lost his heartbeat again to see her so still. His feet hit the floor on the lower level followed immediately by Sheppard's.

"Marie." John said into his com. "We have her."

Ronon dropped to his knees, his fingers moving to her face while his eyes confirmed the steady rise and fall of her chest. She lay on her side, her hands pillowing her cheek.

"Jennifer." He said softly, pushing her hair away from her cheek and exposing the delicate features.

"Hey you." She blinked and looked slowly up at him, her smile half genuine, half drug induced. Then she yawned.

"Doc, what the hell are you doing out here?" John asked sharply, dropping down beside Ronon.

"Sleeping." She mumbled, letting her eyes fall closed again. "It's my dock."

"Dock?" John mouthed to Ronon.

"Chippewa Falls." Ronon answered, sliding one hand under her legs, and the other under her shoulders.

John held her side steady as Ronon lifted her up, then helped adjust her position against the Satedan's chest. "Come on Doc. Lets get you back." He tucked the blanket around her bare legs, covering her feet.

"Awww, come on." She pouted, fisting her left hand in the front of Ronon's shirt and burying her face against his neck. "I feel practically fine! Good as new! S'only a couple of stitches. You get to leave all the time. 'sides, I'm just sleepin."

"You're going back." Ronon growled as they walked.

"Meanie." She frowned, then giggled, her head rolling back. "Figured I had at least an hour this time."

"This time?" John frowned as they moved through the empty corridor.

"Tried my quarters first." She made a face. "Marie made me go back." Then she grinned. "Gave her the slip this time though. 'Cause I'm _sneaky_."

"Doc…" John warned. "Are we going to have to put you in restraints?"

"But it's so loud in there." She frowned, her head dropping back against Ronon's shoulder. "Taylor never shuts up. Chatter chatter chatter. And he can't flirt worth beans. Cathy says he's an idiot, Charlotte's allergic to the chocolate and thinks he's trying to kill her, Marie wants to throw him off the pier, and Nancy has to keep reminding him that her eyes are another foot further north. It's impossible to sleep."

John stared hard at Ronon.

Jen yawned and snuggled further into Ronon's chest. "Mmmm… You're so snuggly warm." She mumbled against his neck with a soft sigh.

"Snuggly?" John coughed.

Ronon tried to frown at the Colonel but couldn't really make it come together properly with Jennifer kissing the side of his neck.

"Got something to say?" Ronon growled at John, going for an I'm-going-to-kick-your-ass look, but having to settle on not shuddering when she nuzzled the sensitive skin beneath his ear with her cold nose.

"Nope." John shook his head, following them into of the transporter and clenching his teeth tightly together. "I'm good. You?"

Ronon grunted.

"I'm tired." She whispered, letting her left arm drop until it lay across her waist. She yawned again, closing her eyes and burrowing against Ronon's chest. "Bedtime yet?"

"Don't worry, Doc." John poked his finger against the transporter screen. "We got ya' covered this time."


	13. Chapter 13

Jen opened one eye, unwilling to give up the warmth and safety of sleep just yet. When nothing seemed out of the ordinary, she opened her other eye, and blinked away the dryness.

There was no movement to her right, the back half of the infirmary empty and still. The clock on the wall read fifteen thirty-five. Odd… since… well… okay it was just odd. Everything was quiet, save for a gentle hum of equipment that added a soft, white noise. The infirmary… unless it was empty… was _never_ quiet. Especially at three thirty in the afternoon.

Where was everyone?

She yawned, long and loud, and rolled her head to the left.

Again… no movement… and no sound.

That made her frown.

Fighting the full body stretch her limbs requested, she clamped her hand down over her left side and rode out another yawn.

Pushing herself upright, she tested her equilibrium. Aside from a pasty tongue and the haven't-had-caffeine-in-days fuzzies, she felt… well… pretty good. Dull ache in her side notwithstanding.

"Hello?" She called tentatively, leaning to the side to try to see around the edge of the wall two empty beds over.

When no immediate answer came she shoved the blankets away, and wriggled around until she was sitting on the edge of the bed. A cold chill along her spine reminded Jen she wasn't wearing scrubs. The surgical gown left her backside naked and exposed. With a quick look to make sure she really was still alone, she slipped off the bed, hissing when her bare feet touched cold tile. Snatching the blanket, she wrapped it quickly around her shoulders, granny style, and stepped out from between the beds.

"Where do you think you're going?"

She jumped and gasped, spinning around and nearly tripping.

"Ronon!" She exhaled as he clamped his hands onto her shoulders and pushed her back towards the bed.

"In." He ordered.

"I…" She tried to turn around but he had her legs up and her butt planted on the mattress before she could finish her thought.

"In." He repeated.

"Where is everyone?"

"Out." He yanked the sheet up over her bare legs.

"Out." Jen frowned. "Out where?"

"Well, well." Marie grinned, appearing behind Ronon. "If it isn't Sleeping Beauty."

"Marie, where is everyone?"

Marie glanced knowingly at Ronon, then shrugged. "Out."

Ronon grinned.

Jen frowned at the look passing between the two of them. "All right you two, what's going on? You look like a couple of Cheshire cats. What are you two up to?"

"Nothing." They both echoed.

"Ronon… what did you do?"

"What makes you think I did anything?"

"Because I know you."

Christine, one of her nurses, appeared from around the corner. "Aha!" She grinned. "I thought I heard you up. Welcome back." The nurse moved forward to stand on Ronon's other side.

Jen frowned, moving from Christine, to Ronon, to Marie. Then she raised herself up and pulled at the sheet. "You three are up to something. What'd you break?"

Ronon stepped forward. "Stay."

"Everything's just fine." Christine laughed. "In fact, it's better than fine. Perfect, really." She nodded to Jen. "Glad to see you're going to be okay, Doctor." Then she turned and grinned at Marie. "Shall I let everyone know it's safe to return?"

Marie looked to Ronon for confirmation, and the Satedan nodded. Christine smiled at them both then disappeared back the way she came.

"Did she just _smile_ at you?" Jen's eyes went wide. "And why wouldn't it be safe? What happened? Was there some kind of outbreak?"

"No, no. Nothing like that." Marie laughed. "Just a little military coup."

"Military coup?" Jen shook her head, wondering if she was still sleeping.

"Since you're currently our only bed-ridden patient, we were ordered into silence under threat of stunning." Then Marie shook her head and patted Ronon's arm as she laughed. "I haven't had this much fun on shift in ages."

"You… what?" Jen stared at Marie, then at Ronon. Ronon, the man who couldn't tolerate any medical professional save for her… was grinning like an idiot at Marie, sharing some kind of personal joke.

"I'm not going to want to hear this, am I?" She muttered.

Marie angled her head, and Ronon shrugged. Taking that as her cue, Marie wiggled her eyebrows and turned towards Jen.

"Colonel Sheppard ordered all non essential personnel out of the infirmary under threat of stunning. Even posted guards. And if anyone were to make any noise, and thus disturb the much needed rest of her royal self, then…" Marie shrugged with a wide grin and glanced knowingly at Ronon.

"Then…" Jen blinked, then looked up at Ronon. "Stunning?"

He went for innocent, but she could see the laughter around his eyes.

"Oh, god. And _who_ didn't listen? Or do I want to know?" Jen rolled her eyes.

"Taylor." Marie said, fighting to keep the smirk from spreading and failing miserably.

"Marie!" Jen said, shocked.

"What?!" Marie raised her hands. "He disobeyed a direct order. We told him no noise."

"He… he's a doctor! You can't just go around stunning our medical personnel!" Jen switched to Ronon.

"Oh please." Marie made a face. "The buffoon disserved it. He shouldn't have called the Colonel a playboy pilot."

"He said what?" Jen was incredulous. "To his face?!"

"Oh no, no." Marie shook her head. "He's an idiot. He's not suicidal. He said it in private. Well, sort of private. If you count Christine as private. I guess she must have let it slip."

"Marie!" Jen tried to look furious, but the grinning duo standing in front of her was making it very, very difficult.

Marie laughed again, then backed away. "Okay, well I'd better get back to work. It's hard to stack shelves when you're under a no-noise order. Although I do appreciate all the added testosterone that's been lurking about."

Jen gaped, then laughed.

"I'm just saying..." Marie held up her hands in defeat and turned away.

"She's kidding, right? Ronon, please tell me you didn't stun Dr. Taylor." Jen switched from Marie's retreating back, to the blaster hanging in its holster at Ronon's side, then up to the Satedan's face.

"I didn't."

She sighed. "You did, didn't you."

"I did."

Jen flopped back against the pillow. "What am I going to do with you?"

He leaned forward, his hands braced on either side of her pillow. "I'll tell you what you're _not_ going to do."

Jen raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?"

He nodded as he leaned closer. "You are _not_ going to scare me like that… _ever_… again…"

"Oh." She whispered. "Yeah. Sorry about that."

"Accepted." He answered, placing a light kiss across her forehead. Then he straightened, his gaze direct and warning as his face hovered inches from hers. "You should have made me understand."

"Understand what?" She whispered, unable to tear her eyes away from his mouth. "I still don't really know what happened myself."

He kissed her, slowly, tentatively, the only pressure against her body coming from his lips as he held himself above her, his weight resting on his arms.

"Get some rest." He said quickly then straightened.

"Rest?" She muttered. "I've already been asleep for hours."

"Rest." He ordered.

"You're not going to shoot anyone again, are you?"

He shrugged. "No promises.

"Ronon…"

"Fine." He rolled his eyes as though the promise wounded him. "No shooting."

"Or clubbing." She frowned, making him laugh.

"Or clubbing."

"Or…"

"Jennifer…" He interrupted.

Jen settled back against the pillow while he reseated the blanket around her shoulders.

"Fine." She muttered, stifling a yawn. "Okay. Maybe I am tired. But next time you come back I expect you to be bearing food."

"Food, huh."

She nodded.

"Anything in particular?"

"Big Mac combo. Supersize. With coke."

"Is that all?"

"I'm sure our playboy pilot could help you with some take-out."

"Anything else?"

She smiled, reaching for his shirt and pulling his face back down towards hers.

"Just you." She whispered, lifting her head and brushing her lips against his.

He grinned against her mouth.

"I'm pretty sure that can be arranged."

"Promises, promises." She muttered, her laughter fading as his mouth covered hers.

.

.

.

_**A/N** : Well that's it for this little plot bunny! :) Hope you all enjoyed the ride! Thanks for all the reviews, questions and comments! And now I'll return to my other musings until the next plot bunny attacks! In the mean time, behave yourselves. - Nika_


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